


Chronicle

by QuartzScale



Series: Chronicle [1]
Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2020-03-06 17:16:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 44,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18855484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuartzScale/pseuds/QuartzScale
Summary: These are the records of the last master of humanity. At ten years old young Ritsuka was forced to act within the organization known as Chaldea. These were written by their own hand and are the uncensored version.Viewing of this archive by unauthorized researchers warrants immediate termination. Any rank lower than Pride viewing this work will result in immediate termination. You have been warned.Work has been transcribed into new format since author was underage at the time. Some words required translation due to cultural differences and poor penmanship.





	1. Preface

Today… today was weird. But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

Perhaps I should write something a bit more… substantial than just something weird happened. So as to not make this a confusing mess this journal belongs to Fujimaru Ritsuka. I am a ten year old kid who lives with my mom and dad within the confines of Tokyo somewhere in the Harajuku Ward. I just know it’s close to the train.

Admittedly this happened last week though…

Though that’s not the important stuff. What is important is that I was taken to a doctor. Apparently dad said they had to take a blood sample from me. He had mumbled something about him not matching right but I didn’t really understand what he was talking about. Mom had to work late so she didn’t come with us.

Now this is where the weird part comes in. The doctor guy was wearing very ornate clothing. He looked too fancy to be a doctor even though he asserted that he had a PhD… I think. He had a piece of paper in a frame with the letters PhD on them but that was it. Seemed legit at the very least though dad was nervous every time their eyes met.

After they took their blood the doctor called my dad out into the hall. I don’t know why but everything was muffled after that. I think they were shouting but whenever I tried to focus on their words I only heard mumbles. Mom doesn’t like when people talk in the mumbles because she said it makes you sound dumb. I try not to speak in the mumbles anymore though so it should be okay.Then she made me learn big words and what they mean so I could be more mature. I’d rather go play at the park though…

Anyways I got carried out of the office as the doctor kept screaming…

_ ‘You don’t understand! This could be the answer for all humanity!” _

At that point dad growled out that I should cover my ears or I don’t get dessert. So I covered my ears as we got back down to the street level and took a taxi back to our apartment. Though when I looked over my dad’s shoulder… that same doctor was there already waiting for us. There was more shouting and I was forced upstairs and into my room. Mom woke up at that point and joined in the shouting match as it continued into the living room.

I couldn’t understand what they were talking about though. It just sounded like mumbles again. Weird mumbles too… like if there was electricity buzzing through the air. The static on the television. Yes that sound. It was really weird. I read some of the manga those few friends of mine got me for my birthday while I waited for dinner to be made. I could make myself something… but the living room and kitchen were right next to each other. For some reason I felt… what was the word… a compulsion. Yes that word. I felt a compulsion to not exit my room. I don’t know why. I just felt… if I opened the door I would be in big trouble. 

Then the mumbles stopped. I was called out to.

There was a lot of talking after that and I just nodded my head at everything. They talked about magic and saving humanity and other things that went far and above my head. I didn’t get it at all. So I nodded my head and smiled. I answered only with yes and no to questions. It was easy since all of it was going over my head at the time.

After the doctor left mom went to the kitchen and dad sat at the table were this haunted look on his face. I didn’t really get it at the time but… maybe I should have paid more attention. I really should have…

It was later that evening around seven or so when they decided to talk to me. I don’t mean the kind where they assured me everything was alright though. It was quiet… somber. Another word I soon knew the meaning of all too well.

It took him several minutes before he started talking and it was something I didn’t expect.

Magic was real.

Mages were a thing.

I was a magus of some sort as well.

I don’t know what he meant when he said we were some washed up branch of another family but I was an anomaly. An outlier, I think he said, in a sea of mages. For some reason my magic circuits were strong enough to offer a high compatibility with something called a servant. I zoned out at that point because he got too technical about everything. It was over my head completely. I was forced out of my daze when he mentioned that I would be going somewhere soon on my own because of my magical prowess.

I remember crying out about not wanting to do so. I remember trying to argue but at the time… well I didn’t actually offer arguments. I just… yelled that I didn’t wanna. I kept screaming that point a lot until mom came in and smacked me on the cheek. 

It hurt… like a lot. But I stopped yelling at that point. It wasn’t exactly like we could say no anymore. Whatever family branch we were part of had made their decision since their own child was useless beyond belief.

I didn’t even get to say goodbye to any of the friends I made either. The next morning a strange lady in a fancy fur coat came to our door and I was whisked away with her. With my parent’s blessing in fact. Dad taught me a spell and cast it on this journal before I left at least. It would scramble the words and make it hard to read except for the one writing this thing. 

I don’t know what happened but we didn’t stay in Tokyo. We didn’t stay in Japan either. We got in a plane and for nine hours I sat next to the strange lady. She offered only small greetings and stated she was my aunt for any questions or purposes. She pushed me away when I offered a hug though I figured that any sight of affection would be seen as useless. Mages were cold… and most of the time unfeeling monsters if my mom was telling me the truth. There were exceptions but they were so far and long between the monsters that it was hard to tell what you were getting into.

We landed in a place call London and were going to a place called the Clock Tower. I think it was where magi hide out. I would be getting a one week course before being sent to where I belong. It was summer at the time and she said I needed to be ready,

For that whole week she made me train to use magic in some way… but I was never able to really cast any spells. My arms burned and hurt everytime I tried. She would state that I was a disgrace but I never really cared. Hopefully that would be enough to send me home. It never was.

They decided to do something to me later and I think it happened when I fell asleep. I remember seeing this one boy the previous day but then he wasn’t there anymore. He had purple eyes too. I don’t think people have purple eyes but I’ve seen these dark skinned girls on the train and they put on contacts that were colored so maybe that was a thing here.

When I woke up the lady made me cast some spells. They were weak… but I could cast them now without feeling any pain now. That seemed to satisfy those watching eyes.

After those lessons a tall man on a large red coat also taught me things. He was a bit stuffy but nicer than most of the other mages that lived here. He taught me historical things though it was always limited to short facts about people in history. I didn’t know why but he had me make flashcards with dozens of names on them. I couldn’t pronounce some of them though. I was at least not discouraged from practicing and I was told to keep my cards handy for later. I’ll probably use some pages from this journal when I figure out what was so important about the names on the cards.

I also met this really weird lady with blonde curls who laughed like one of those anime princess type characters. That was really weird as well since she tried teaching me some strengthening magic. I don’t know why though. All I noticed was that she looked at me with some slight worry but I’m sure it was nothing.

As soon as the week was up I was given a trunk from my parents with my things. It wasn’t a lot but I did notice that they had put locked box on one side of the trunk. Also there were several runic symbols carved into the edges. The trunk was overly light but I’m not sure who did that since I couldn’t do that.

I was given this white uniform in my size and told to wear it when before I left. I placed the two extras into the trunk as well before they drove me to another airport. The lady who picked me up from home chaperoned me the entire way. The only thing she noticed about me was that I didn’t smile much and made a point that I should try to. 

Apparently I was going to do great things even if I was so small. Or I would fail and nothing bad would happen after that. I’m pretty sure she was just kidding but it made me squirm all the same.

When we got to the airport we took three flights one after another before we reached a private airport somewhere in Australia… I think. Then we took another flight to this tanker floating close to the Antarctic circle. 

There were a lot of mages there too. They scanned us both and made sure my things were secured before the helicopter we were going to take took off. Apparently we were in the best possible position to take off now. The weather had cleared up and we had a very big window of opportunity to reach our destination.

I was cold… but not as cold as I thought I would be. The lady said my mystic code would protect me from the cold but I didn’t have any cheat codes on me that did that. She then explained what they were and I felt a bit dumb. They were my clothes. Apparently the mages of the Clock Tower made special items to cast magic should a magus not be able to perform spells constantly. My clothes that I was wearing was one such item.

She explained a bit more about these codes and that while I was in Chaldea I would get more which would be necessary for whatever I had to do. She slowly trailed off to a silence that I took to mean to keep quiet now.

When we got closer I felt this strange sensation over my body as we passed this weird glowing field. I think one of my teachers called it a bounded field but they didn’t go into detail about that.

It was early morning  when we made it within range. There was Chaldea. And we were about to land. I’m putting this journal away until I get a good look at the place. Hopefully I’ll have time to write down some more before anything big happens.


	2. Fuyuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First days are always tough. Things happen beyond our control.

...where do I even start? My hands are shaking so much I don’t know how I’m going to actually write these things. I mean is there even a way to talk about those things…

Let’s start from the beginning. My name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. I’m ten years old and now I am considered one of the final masters that live within the walls of Chaldea. Chaldea is a organization that protects human history. And I asked but it is not actually a museum. What they do is much more complex but I need to talk about what happened before all that.

The lady had just dropped me off the helicopter. One of the staff members took my trunk and said it would be placed in my room before me. I nodded and walked with another member who led me to the front door. It had so many locks on it that I was surprised it even opened as smoothly as it did. Then this weird mechanical voice called out to me.

It said I wasn’t fully authenticated yet. I didn’t know what that meant but it sounded important. I was glad I learned about time as well. In three minutes I would be authorized in. Though I really didn’t want to have my book published. 

Then I was in this VR thingie. There were three people standing before me. One was a blonde lady with a glowing sword, another was a blue haired man in a blue with a spear and another man with a bow and arrows wearing a green tunic. I felt this weird sensation as the three looked to me for their orders before this rock monster appeared before us.

What went on was several seconds of issuing orders that I was given through this strange voice. It sounded like it was on one of those PA devices they have at school but it sounded closer. It seemed to be coming from my wrist. The small watch which as it turns out wasn’t a Watch was speaking to me. After the orders I saw Saber use this really big attack that sent a beam of light out of her sword. I think the voice called it a Noble Phantasm. That was really surprising. 

Then the test ended. I think I walked around for a bit because I couldn’t remember what I was doing for that length of time. It took a while until I was awakened by this fluffy animal.

And this wasn’t just the regular fluffy. This was advanced fluffy. The kind of fluff that makes pillows jealous. There was also a girl as well. She seemed interested in what I was doing since I was actually sleeping on the floor.

What I was doing on the floor was beyond me since I didn’t remember falling asleep at any time. She was evasive about her name but she helped me back on my feet. She did remark about my height and was a bit baffled since I was only ten years old.

I think the lady said that if I wasn’t good enough I could have been sent to Seraphix to help out there. Luckily I was trained well enough. As we spoke a bit about Chaldea she told me that I was really young.

I said to her at the time you’re only as young as you feel. At the very least my unbridled enthusiasm won her over on treating me like an adult. I wasn’t so sure at the time but she seemed a bit sad some times during our talk.

Before long this man in a top hat stopped our conversation. He looked at me in particular confused at why I was here. When he looked at his wrist thing it showed him my information. That was a breach of privacy though he seemed satisfied when he found I was the 48th master candidate.

I nodded and asked him what I was actually supposed to be doing. His concern started showing as we continued to talk and Mash as I came to know her immediately panicked. We were late for a meeting with the director as she announced things to the B team.

I was rushed off with Mash grabbing my hand and pulling me with her towards the elevator. The man in the top hat, Lev Lainur, followed after us. He noted that him there would make things easier on me.

As we reached the meeting room I was forced to find my seat. There were so many eyes watching me too. Luckily Fou, the small fluff ball, sat on my lap if only to comfort me in the face of daunting pressure. They never said anything but I could feel a lot of negativity coming off everyone.

A lady with silver hair came to the front announcing that we were Chaldea, an organization meant to ensure that humanity survives. We were to go into a Singularity to solve a problem that could grow out of control ending all life as we know it.

I was kind of zoning out at the time so most of the info is second hand. I think she glared at me once or twice during the entire thing. Then she asked what I was doing here, a child in her Chaldeas. 

I told her that the Clock Tower picked me for this and sent me here after a week. I even told her about the man in the red coat and the lady with the blonde curls. I don’t remember their names at the moment but they seemed to be important people since she started biting her thumb in frustration. She promptly ignored me and continued on with her message about Chaldea.

I think this was like an entrance exam they have in those colleges in manga but when she called us weapons I was slightly concerned. I was a very short kid if some called me a weapon with a straight face I would be shocked. Shocked, I say!

Then I felt sleepy again. She rambled on and on while the people behind me talked about pedigrees and lineages before she slammed her foot down. Nobody left since we were 6000 meters above sea level. I wondered if that meant that the sea was at 0 meters then but I’d have to ask later.

Of course I got yelled at even though I wasn’t voicing concerns or problems with what Ms. Olga was talking about. Though I was bobbing my head back and forth to some unheard music roaming around my subconscious.

I was banned from the mission because apparently I was too young to be part of this sort of dangerous mission. I kind of kept quiet at that point. Not because she was right mind you but because she was kind of mean whenever you disagreed with her. 

So Mash led me to my room where I would be staying for the next year or so. It was a little sad because Mash was on the A team meaning even though we would talk with each other we wouldn’t actually be closely working together. She rushed off as I entered my room.

There was a strange man with long orange hair… eating cake on my bed. I kind of panicked because he might get crumbs in my bed. 

There was shock and a bit of surprise but he managed to look authoritative about things for a few moments. I did learn that word didn’t mean anything to do with writing books so I was glad about that.

He was Romani Archaman. Apparently he was the head doctor of this facility and he was skipping out on work. After finding out I was a master candidate he was a bit bummed that he lost his hidey hole.

Of course then I asked him several questions about Chaldea if only because I wasn’t really paying attention during Olga’s speech… also I didn’t really understand what she was talking about.

So Chaldea… where do I start…?

It is a group of mages working to protect the foundation of humanity. That means we make sure history flows smoothly so that nothing bad happens to everyone that’s out there living right now. Using reyshifting we change ourselves into magic particles that can interact with the past to keep the future safe. The magic lens Sheba is like a magnifying glass that makes sure to keep an eye on us and the problem. The Trismegistus computer makes sure we still exist so that the past doesn’t swallow us up like a monster. And the spinning blue planet of Chaldeas shows us what the soul of the world looks like.

Apparently something happened and the planet had turned gray for a short while. That made the people in charge go to Olga and tell her to fix this. So they made Chaldea to do that.

Though since I was off the mission right now I didn’t get to participate. That was a bummer. I wanted to help since I was sent here to do things.

Roman called me his friend which was nice. I could always use more friends since I was pretty sure the other master candidates saw me as a nuisance. He assured me I was given right to be here.

Apparently my bloodline makes me a 100% match for being a master. That means I’m like really good at being a master though my magic is really weak. Without using a mystic code the best I could do right now after a week of training is heal wounds slowly. Roman said it was because their are spiriton particles floating around making it easier for me to regenerate my mana to a certain degree. Too much and I would get necrosis. I didn’t know that word though. 

He said it would kill me…

Before I could voice concern his wrist beeped and there was a message from Lev. He said something about the B team having slight problems and to come help them out. Though we were five minutes away instead of two meaning that he would be late. Before he could leave the entire base shook and I nearly fell only managing to stay up because Roman helped me stay standing.

There was an emergency and in a rush I followed after the doctor. When we reached the room with all the coffin like things everything was broken and burning. Roman told me to evacuate but I remembered that Mash was somewhere in there. In a blind panic I rushed inside and climbed over what debris I could trying to find her. There was a lot of fire and smoke but Fou was with me. He guided me where I needed to go…

Mash was stuck underneath a large rock. It was hot to the touch… and she was bleeding… a lot.

I got this pipe to try and use it to pry the rock up but I wasn’t strong enough. Just as I started to make progress the pipe snapped and the door shut down. Now… we were both stuck in the room. Fou made sure to keep on top of my shoulder the entire time.

I didn’t really know what else to do at that point and just kind of sat next to Mash. She wouldn’t be alone at least. After a little time I held her hand as the Chaldea model turned red. There wasn’t much we could actually do though. The computer voice starting counting down to the point where it would start reyshifting. It started looking for any master candidates.

After some time my number and name was called out and I was placed as the master in charge of exploring Singularity F. I didn’t know what they expected to do so I just tightened my grip on Mash’s hand and tried to smile for her. I hoped mom and dad wouldn’t be mad at me for my decisions.

I saw this swirling blue light and a hole leading into the distance as I felt my body slowly fall to pieces. It didn’t hurt but my eyes started to close.

The next time I opened my eyes all I saw was fire. Fire everywhere the eye could see. Mash kind of scared me with her announcement that she would kill me if I didn’t wake up. She did amend that making it I would die if I didn’t wake up.

There were skeletons all around us. All of them were wearing red capes but held different weapons in their hands. Swords, spears, and bows as far as I could tell.

Mash had me take cover behind some debris while she went to work knocking the skeletons around. I watched for any of them that came to close making sure that they were too focused on battling Mash. I found that piece of pipe still snapped in half from using it as leverage nearby. I didn’t know if it was the same one or just a piece that was around the wreckage of the city but I picked it up just in case.

It was a good call as the skeleton with a sword popped in trying to slice me. I stumbled back and my wild swing sent the skull flying elsewhere while the rest of the body crumbled. Mash soon came close again putting down the rest of the monsters.

I might have shook on the spot because of what happened but I tried my best to keep calm. Honestly I didn’t really know what was going on since we were in a city instead of a room and the giant glowing ball wasn’t anywhere in sight.

Mash filled me in on where we were and what happened though it was limited to being that we were in the past in Fuyuki at a time when it was completely destroyed. I never heard of something like this happening but Mash said it was another possibility.

So now I was a time traveler and a dimensional hopper. I don’t think mom or dad would believe me if I told them that. Still I accepted the story as true since the pipe was still warm and my muscles ached from moving around so much before hand.

My watch thing beeped soon after and I learned they just called it a communicator. Dr. Roman was on the line. He was absolutely shocked that I was there but glad I was okay. He made a remark about Mash’s outfit but I really didn’t get it. I even said she looked good in it. 

I thought I heard him say something about me liking older women apparently. At least I think that’s what he said. Mash calling me senpai kind of broke me out of that thought. I was far younger than her. Still she thought of me as someone high up for some reason. I didn’t think much of it but said I would be a good senpai if possible. That just made her blush which confused me even more.  I put it out of my mind for the moment and listened back to the conversation.

The conversation cut off suddenly leaving the two of us alone again. It seemed that something happened on their end instead of ours. Luckily I heard the sound of a woman screaming and Fou pointed us in the right direction. I grabbed Mash’s hand and rushed towards the sound. There we found Olga screaming her head off as she shot magic at the skeletons. Apparently she was using low level Gandr spells.

I sent Mash ahead and she wiped out the rest of the skeletons before they could overwhelm her. She seemed perturbed that I ended up saving her but she didn’t make much of a fuss until after we were safe. 

I finally learned just how bad it got.

Chaldea had been sabotaged. Someone set us up the bomb… apparently. Almost the entire staff died in the ensuing explosion with only twenty survivors left to run the facility. Roman was the highest rank staff member left. Lev Lainur was killed.

At that Olga seemed to almost break into tears. She managed to stop herself and ask about the candidates that had also been scheduled to rayshift as well. All were in critical condition and there wasn’t enough supplies to help them all. Olga immediately made the decision to put them in cryopreservation. Apparently that was against the law as well. 

I was just glad they would survive. I didn’t really know why they wouldn’t do that if they weren’t going to survive but that was just another thing that went over my head. Before we could get too much into it the power in Chaldea started messing up again. Roman would contact us again after we find the leyline.

I nodded and Olga immediately took charge.

Before we went anywhere we found a small building still intact. Right now Mash is giving Olga first aid for her scratches and such. I was glad that she had something in her shield to do so but I was really wondering where she even got that in the first place.

I’m taking my time right now to write this all out so I don’t forget or before Olga decides I need another lecture. I’d rather not have it if I could avoid it. It’s not because it wouldn’t be useful. It’s more that I dislike being yelled at for no good reason. 

I once punched a kid in school because he kept looking down on me. I mean it was only his arm but he stopped trying after that. A lot of other kids looked at me funny after that. Not the fearful way but more… like I was their older brother figure even though we were the same age. That was really weird.

Anyways we’re going to go find this leyline soon. I’m gonna write more later. Hopefully nobody tries to read this. I think the enchantment on the book is holding strong since the book is humming with magical energy from time to time. Till then I’ll keep my eyes peeled for anything new to write about.


	3. Fuyuki Summoning I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First test of the FATE System. Gacha Gacha let's test the Gacha.

It took a while. The conversation about the use of summoning circles and the fact that our catalysts didn’t really exist. I didn’t understand a word of it at all. A lot of the magus things went completely over my head. Even showing me the Saint Quartz as they were called just made me remark on how pretty they looked. Olga sighed as I did making one of those frustrated faces that my mom made whenever I started questioning why her jewels were always shining. She never usually answered that and muttered something about wondering how I kept getting into her workshop.

Ah…so mom’s magic had to do with jewels. So did my aunt's...

Regardless since the last time I wrote things have changed slightly. We had finished making a summoning circle using Mash’s shield as a focal point. Apparently it was really important and made it possible for her to bring other heroes to us so that we could work together to the protection of humanity. That was what the Saint Quartz was for.

Apparently because we didn’t have catalysts we had to use the remnants of the spiritons to synthesize these crystallized pieces of fate as Olga explained to create contracts with Heroic Spirits like Mash had inside her. We would build up our fighting force since with just the three of us we could get overwhelmed by skeletons and since I couldn’t do much fighting right now it was important.

I was a ten year old kid way over their head and they expected me to do crazy things to keep up with the monsters of this singularity. Olga was skeptic about my abilities and I agreed wholeheartedly which made her sigh once again. I felt that would come about a lot.

From that point on we focused on summoning some assistance for clearing this singularity before it could get any worse. Olga made me write down the chant so before I did anything and I did my best to memorize it. It was really long too.

Let silver and steel be the essence.  
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation  
Let the colour I pay tribute to / Let my great Master be the ancestor*  
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall  
Let the four cardinal gates close.  
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

I hereby declare.  
Your body shall serve under me.  
My fate shall be your sword.  
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail  
If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!

An oath shall be sworn here!  
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.  
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!

It was very long and before I knew it a large circular area of magic appeared before us. My hand burned too but it didn’t feel too bad as I thought it would. I didn’t know it at first but I was being supplemented by the output from Chaldea to support servants and make sure I wouldn’t be exhausted from that kind of thaumaturgical output.

Then we waited as the light show took place. In retrospect we probably should have made certain no one could see what we were doing but it was too late for that. The light dimmed and the first servant popped out.

He was the same servant I had worked with within the simulator program that I had been run through earlier. Wearing blue spandex… at least I think it was blue spandex, he wielded a red lance spinning it once in his hands before standing before me.

He was kind of relaxed when summoned. Merely calling himself a Lancer class servant and telling me to take it easy. If only I could take it easy. Before I could say anything another flash of light appeared behind him

With a very calm voice he announced himself as Gilles De Rais and also of the Saber class. He looked terribly gaunt and very sad. I didn’t know what to make of him and neither did Lancer… who I found out was actually Cu Chulainn. They seemed to take stock of their environment remarking how horrible the landscape actually was before a gold flash took us by surprise.

Another servant with large horns and a very fancy spear that looked like a microphone staff appeared as well standing before me. She asked if I was the new manager asking me to take care of her as well. I had to use my watch to see who she actually was noting that her name was actually Elizabeth Bathory. She was also a Lancer…

It was at this point that the three of them actually started voicing concern. They looked towards me noting I had the command seals on my hand. Mash immediately stood in front of them due to overprotectiveness. I merely waved at them and the three pretty much jovially answered my wave with one of their own.

Olga took charge immediately remarking that at least the FATE system is working right. I managed to get the three of them to sit down amongst the rubble with me as we discussed why they were summoned. The fact that there were two Lancers at once was actually what caused the three to be confused. I remarked that this isn’t really a Holy Grail War technically.

That started a small shouting match where they chastised me for wasting their time… though that was mostly from the two lancers while Saber Gilles remained quiet. Appraising me if I was right. Then I held my hands up which did stop them yelling. Cu took a petulant stance clearly unhappy with the situation while Elizabeth did that weird thing high school girls did where they messed with their fingernails and pretending to ignore whatever someone else would say.

Then I started speaking about how we were attacked and something happened that caused a singularity in human history to appear threatening humanity with extinction. I explained that we were trying to stop this from happening before the world was doomed. Cu was the first to accept it though he was very feral at that point looking extremely excited. Gilles merely nodded accepting it as truth.

I wondered why and he answered almost as if he was reading my mind. The Throne of Heroes told him so. That seemed like a very convenient explanation. Of course I had to be explained the concept of the Throne. It was a metaphysical plain of existence where all heroes were recorded all for the protection of humanity by Alaya. Alaya was apparently the mother goddess or something of that sort for humanity. Olga couldn’t explain why that was but I didn’t really focus too much on that. There were other matters to attend to.

Elizabeth was the most reluctant seemingly caring more about her idol career but she accepted that even she needed to make some impromptu concerts whenever it was required. It was kind of funny that she equated things like this to a concert. I wondered if she was kind of dumb but I kept that to myself. There was no need to stir the hornet nest.

Our team dynamic was a bit askew at the moment since we didn’t have any Archer to assist us. That was another of the classes that could be summoned. There were four others including Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker. I had asked Olga if there were any others but she dismissed it as impossible. Other classes couldn’t be summoned unless it was a really big deal. There apparently wouldn’t be any way for those extra classes to be summoned. She didn’t even grace me with an answer about that either.

I’m still really curious but she didn’t deign to answer me. Although I don’t think it was out of malice. It wasn’t important at the moment but she at least said she would tell me later.

Cu voiced that it wasn’t really that big a deal. The four servants around regardless of how mismatched they were would be able to handle whatever was going to happen… though the entirety of the area was still on fire.

Elizabeth chuckled as she regarded me as a little puppy who needed to be led around though I personally would at least want to be equated to a wolf… they’re much cooler. I didn’t say anything but I did point out that I was technically the master… even if I was so young. Each of them didn’t say much of anything but accepted that since I was the master they would follow my orders.

Gilles, being the soldier that he looked like, asked me what we should do first breaking through to the other servants. Each of them waited as well. I asked if they would act as the vanguard while we search for the source of the problem. Cu remained in back while Gilles and Elizabeth act in the front for the moment. Mash had asked what she would be doing and I told her she would be on defense with Cu.

Cu asked if that’s actually what I wanted to do and while I mentally was so worried I was wrong on my decision I pushed through and said yes. He merely smiled at the conviction and idly held his spear behind his back taking position while Elizabeth whined a bit about being up front.

I thought about it for a bit and mentioned that idols should be upfront and seen by all. Her eyes sparkled as she understood and that I was being a decent manager for the moment. Gilles nodded at his assignment though there was a smirk in his eyes as he watched Elizabeth take point.

For the most part we examined the harbor… though we found nothing but skeletons. Skeletons as far as the eye could see. Thanks to our increased power we managed through the problem without too much setbacks. There were also statues as well. Statues of people as far as the eye could see. It was creepy but over all nothing out of the ordinary popped up.

Skeleton. Then a crack as it fell to pieces. Skeleton. Another crack as it fell to pieces. At that point I started finding red bones in the piles we left behind. Olga told me to grab them and they were placed in a special compartment on Mash’s Shield.

Before I could really ask her why she explained about these items being used as catalysts to make servants stronger through the fate system. My tilted head showed I had no idea what she meant. She gave a larger explanation that due to Chaldea being different on how it summoned heroic spirits through the FATE System they weren’t as powerful as they could be meaning I would have to raise them up to be stronger.

Each servant voiced that they did wonder why I wasn’t in pain from summoning three servants and having four contracts but they did so in their own ways.

Elizabeth thought I was some super manager that could get any gig. Cu wondered aloud if I was just unlucky. Gilles appraised me as if I was more special than I portrayed myself. I denied everything and Olga mentioned how Chaldea was acting like a channeling circuit feeding magic to servants after I provided the initial spark both through my own magic circuits and the saint quartz we used for the ritual.

Regardless we continued our search working through the rubble fighting off more skeletons. It wasn’t hard but it was time consuming. I even had to knock a skeleton that got too close and was overly careless with the pipe I had been carrying. It was a crude weapon but I kept it just in case.

Gilles mentioned that it was a very lackluster style. I mentioned that I hadn’t even been trained except for a week long course on magecraft. That floored him slightly since it didn’t really explain why I was here. I told him that the recruiter said I had really good master potential even though I’m a horrible magus.

He nodded and continued fighting off skeletons though I think he was a bit more worried right now. Between the six of us we were a large group that could be easy to wiped out had the enemy been smarter.

I realized that I was responsible for other people now. Even though Olga has told me I was going to be fired and a first rate master would be sent in the more I looked at the situation the more I felt that that wasn’t the case.

As Olga explained it, Chaldea turned gray which meant human history was effectively dead in the water from what I could understand. I tried to put it out of my mind as we reached the church.

It was quiet and I sent Cu out to scout the area. That left us some time to rest. Mash even offered me some rations even though they were bland and dry. Honestly, luxury would be a hard pressed commodity given the state this place was in.

Elizabeth dragged my attention soon after since she had found these weird glowing things. I poked them like the intrepid adventurer spirit inside me told me to do. They were warm and seemed to touch my soul. Olga told me not to do that anymore since they were important objects as well just like the bones we found.

Apparently, they were called embers of human wisdom or something like that. I just looked at her and she adamantly insisted that they were what they were called. They were also used to strengthen servants as well. So I asked her how I used them.

She pushed my wrist in my face and the watch opened up another holographic panel. I really should have played with it more.

There were my servants stats and abilities all for me to see. I even had a panel that let me enhance them. So with the embers we found I raised up everyone a little. They were stronger now but nowhere near to reaching this ascension panel I found.

I felt a little more detached at this point since this was way over my head. At the moment we’re waiting for Cu to return. I’ve been writing a bit to the curiosity of Elizabeth.

**Poor puppy. Don’t worry you’re special idol Elizabeth-Chan shall watch out for you. Then you’ll be another of her fans through our rondo of blood.**

And now she’s taking turns writing in my journal. Great...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. My first set of summoning ended up with me pulling Elizabeth as my first four star. I also pulled Gilles and Cu with me and used them as well. The humble beginnings of a FGO account, eh?


	4. Holy Grail War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boundless flight into the unknown.

I’m so tired. So much happened after Cu came back. When he returned he was fighting off another servant apparently. It didn’t speak and even though it had the figure of a woman she was covered entirely in shadow making it difficult to see who it was. They flung their chain whips at us only to be blocked by Mash who came forward.

Gilles and Elizabeth took flanking positions forcing the new servant to fight defensively as the four traded blows with each other. I had to tell at them to alternate blows several times because they were so used to fighting solo that I was worried we’d lose due to competing egos. Cu grumbled dissent at that but did as he was ordered.

Swapping with Gilles he forced the saber forward making the shadow servant back off. As she tried a different angle of attack Cu picked up Elizabeth. Even through her griping she used her own spear and twirled around acting like a buzzsaw. It tossed the shadow through a wall after she blocked. There was a small argument brewing from the maneuver but I praised Elizabeth for truly being a spinning sensation. She kind of ate it up luckily calling Cu a decent stage hand at the very least. He just sighed and went back into his stance.

The shadow servant, who turned out to be Rider, zoomed past their defenses straight for Olga and I… only for Mash to knock them back with a well timed shield bash. The small momentary stun allowed Cu to pierce through Rider who struggled for a moment before failing limp and fading into shadow. There was this weird ethereal sound along with it.

A short sigh of relief soon turned frantic as Roman contacted us notifying us of two more shadow servants closing in. Even though we had numerical superiority, that didn’t mean much if we were in the same place. Especially since we didn’t know which servants were after us. With the fact that I had summoned two Lancers at the same time weighing on our minds we opted to retreat to better terrain with less hiding spots.

For almost two miles we rushed off through the burning landscape while Cu and Gilles kept these random floating daggers from pegging us. Dangerous would be an understatement since they always seemed to go for Olga or my legs or back. Elizabeth had taken a slower approach tossing rubble behind us wherever she felt it would do the most damage. I actually liked the chaos since if it was a planned assault it would make it easier to follow us on a straight path. The only problem was that it gave whomever was chasing us far more opportunities to hide amongst the clouds of dust and smoke.

I might have been panicking a lot but my aunt had made me learn to stay calm in the face of danger. That was mostly dealing with her. She was always looking at me with those piercing blue eyes. I still don’t know why she would look at me like that. She also acted like my mom way too often that my mom joked that I was actually her child. Then my aunt would get all flustered and immediately deny it.

Still don’t know why that was but I’ve gone completely off topic.

Anyways we were forced under the bridge where we were suddenly surrounded by the assassin class servant and now the lancer class servant. Gilles took up the challenge and kept the lancer busy.

They both raved and muttered constantly about the holy grail and how they would have the contents. They were both cracked to my professional opinion. Olga was screaming but the more warrior like mentality. She tried firing off her gandr spell to stun the enemy servants but they shrugged them off like it was nothing.

Cu and Elizabeth dealt with Assassin clearly keeping him on his toes while Mash alternated protecting us from random daggers he threw and the sudden lunge of a wayward spear thrust. It was too much when another voice called out clearly surprised at the teamwork going on.

A set of tunes appeared around Assassin and burned him alive. I think Roman later told me that that was immolation. Such a fancy word to say someone got burnt to a crisp.

That moment allowed Cu and Elizabeth to help stop Lancer knocking him down and skewering him with their weapons. Both servants lamented how they couldn’t acquire the grail that was before them. They also cursed Caster for surviving.

Roman immediately told us to make contact since the new servant that arrived didn’t seem like the rest. Whoever they were they kept their hood on and actually seemed a bit disturbed whenever Cu looked at him. Though our first experience made it clear that he didn’t respect Roman at all.

He even hit on Mash and I felt really weird putting myself between him and me. I think he got the message since I’m being a good senpai to her. She looked a bit relieved though the sly smile on Elizabeth’s mouth made me worried she was thinking too much.

We soon made a contract due to the fact that we needed a bit more power behind our corner. With only short range offensive people we were desperately in a poor position to actually allow all three of them to fight as they saw fit. Didn’t help that Cu was easily thrust into bloodthirsty mode so easily.

Another contract was formed and Caster joined me as well… though he was confused that I could support so many servants at once. I mentioned, to Olga’s frustration, that Chaldea helped with that. He seemed taken aback by how open I was mentioning that. He idly remarked how mages of the Clock Tower guarded their secrets to the grave. I replied that I was a newbie mage that was kind of thrust into a position of importance.

I asked Cu to thrust his spear into a rock to make my point. I was glad when he did though Caster looked a bit annoyed that he did so willingly. When he asked Cu why he would do that he cockily states that it was his spear and he would do what he wanted with it when he wanted with it.

I’m certain someone said that’s what she said. But I never found the source. Liz chuckled and Gilles held a palm in front of his face. He wasn’t annoyed but he was keeping his emotions from showing.

Regardless the two are arguing now about nothing. I’ve been looked over Mash trying to figure out which heroic spirit is in her. Of course that would mean I’d have to look up famous shields in history that have stories behind them. I haven’t found anything of the sort at this point.

Though that’s obvious since I don’t have a computer in front of me I could use. My aunt had a lot more trouble with technology since she couldn’t even record a show on tv right. Mom told her to take a course at one of the universities but my Aunt’s pride wouldn’t allow it.

Didn’t help when I managed it in twenty seconds and made her look like a fool. She was both angry and proud that I was smarter than her. It didn’t help that I had stayed the night there with her and uncle.

We’re resting for the moment and trying to get some sleep before things happen again. Each of the three servants are keeping watch with Mash staying by my side. She luckily doesn’t read this over my shoulder but I can tell she’s curious about it. Perhaps later I’ll show her what I write but for the time being I’ll keep it under my hat.

Metaphorically, I mean.

**Damn it master! My caster version is being a complete asshole. Use your command spell and make him shut up.**

_**Don’t little master. My lancer version just has a lance up his ass. Don’t worry too much about him.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several entries have been found to either be tampered with or added to. Unknown writing samples are held within certain pages.


	5. The Tunnel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're gonna get stronger I'm certain.

It’s dark right now… like really dark…

Though that makes sense since we’re inside a cave right now. More things happened. Too many things all within a day. We’re near the entrance of the cavern that leads to the where we need to go but we’re not going in just yet. I’ve been thinking we need a bit more training and Caster Cu said that Berserker was still out there. So that was an option…

Regardless it had been a long walk from where we were. When we finally met Caster Cu he mentioned something about how almost all the servants of this particular war were corrupted by something from the grail. 

Apparently Saber killed everyone but instead of disappearing like when we fought them off, they turned into dark shadows of their former selves and began hunting whatever else was living in this singularity. It also explained why there were so many skeletons. They were the people rising back up after being corrupted by whatever was in the grail. How they became skeletons instead of zombies was beyond me though.

There was a moment where I felt kind of bad. I popped off one of their heads. I mean I did it accidentally but still…

Regardless we had to keep moving on.

It was then that I really noticed that Mash was feeling down. I didn’t know how I knew… I just knew. I didn’t really get things about servants and masters yet. I didn’t know what it meant, what it entails and what happened next. 

When I had confronted her she hesitantly mentioned that even though she had become a Demi servant… she couldn’t use her noble phantasm. I didn’t know what that meant so Caster Cu immediately explained what it was before Olga could. Her wings were ruffled at this point.

Apparently, a Noble Phantasm is a servant’s ace in the hole. A super secret technique that could make the impossible possible in some cases. It also was their biggest weakness. It revealed who a servant was after using it once. It was why all servants used their class instead of their names when they were summoned in a Holy Grail War. 

Some servants didn’t but that was because they didn’t care if they were found out. They boasted that they were strong enough as is. 

My brain immediately equated it to a super combo move that did tons of damage or something to that effect. It made the most sense but I was told some Noble Phantasms weren’t damaging… instead causing things to happen that wouldn’t normally happen.

Only Gilles apparently had a non damaging Noble Phantasm. I had to look through my archive on my watch to find that out.

Elizabeth boasted that her NP could bring the roof down. Cu boasted that his could kill someone outright. Caster Cu said the same though mentioned that the ash was kind of annoying. Gilles would bolster us to victory. 

Mash looked down about that so we decided to hold a small impromptu sparring session. Caster Cu took one side while Mash stood in front of me. Olga was reticent of this idea and looked worried that this was too dangerous. Gilles then mentioned that everything here is dangerous and that what we were doing was just natural.

I didn’t like being put in danger on purpose by an ally but if it would help Mash awaken her abilities then it seemed like a worthy cause. Dr. Roman was also worried though he voiced it much louder than Olga. 

A sudden burst of magic brought her shield up as Caster Cu struck first. Lancer Cu and Elizabeth patrolled the area keeping skeletons in their place while Gilles remained by Olga in case of problems.

Mash jumped forward using her shield as a bludgeon while Caster Cu danced around using his runes to keep her on the defensive. A set on the ground forces her to roll away and a set from his staff made her raise her shield. 

It got to the point where I opened the master servant link and began relaying orders more personally. Mash rolled through the next set of tunes using her shield as a launcher as she used gravity to her advantage. The impact forced Caster Cu back but his staff held strong blocking the brunt of it. The road was torn apart as he jumped up using a different set of runes letting a chill dance over the ground. 

Mash quickly jumped back as several icicles formed where she stood last. I had to order her back when he started pushing this offensive. Then an idea struck as I had Mash slice through one of the protruding icicles and use her shield to toss it towards Caster Cu. While he did block it was a quick burst of flame it was the only thing she needed to close the gap smashing him with her shield towards the ground.

The smile on his face signifies that he would go much further as he started up the chant for his noble phantasm. Mash panicked as she stood in front of me with her shield. 

I was worried… more worried than I let on. Had I not been so desensitized due to all the dead bodies walking around I don’t think I would have had the courage to handle this. Standing my ground, I pulled Mash back and encouraged her that we would be fine and that I believed in her.

The large scarecrow figure rose from the flames and I watched as his nail like fingers reach down for us.

Mash surged with magical power as she slammed her shield down and a large wave of magic surrounded us. It looked like a larger form of her shield and surrounded us as the scarecrow grabbed us. 

The flames roared around us but… we didn’t burn. It was a miracle or something to that effect. The flames dissipated leaving us in the middle of a circle of flames… completely unharmed. 

Caster Cu immediately congratulated Mash while Olga rushed over healing both of us. She was really worried but now I knew.

She was a tsundere.

I had this feeling. It was written all over the wall with how she acted so far. I didn’t realize it at first but I found it hilarious though I kept that comment to myself. 

Unfortunately, Mash still didn’t know the name. So Olga made a keyword for her to activate her NP. Now it was dubbed Lord Chaldeas. I idly wondered if she did that just to keep Chaldea as the main focus of this endeavor.

Regardless there were a few more practice sessions as Lance Cu and Gilles pushes a few more lessons for Mash to learn before we continued on. She learned quickly though I found myself holding her hand for the duration of our trek. She was still scared of everything that happened and it showed. Her hand shook in my grip though as I tightened my grip she relaxed more and more.

**Such a cute puppy. Loyal to a fault.**

Elizabeth once again found time to make a comment.

**Oh Master… are you writing about our adventures. As the premiere Saber I could give you some pointers on grimoires**

Now Gilles is making comments.

**Senpai… can I make comments too?**

I acquiesced to their desires if only because I got hand cramps when I wrote for so long.

**So there we were… Elly-Chan’s epic concert tour. We had our lead guitarist Cu, Backup Vocals Mash, Bass Player Gilles and Drummer Caster making our way towards the concert grounds but we had to make it past a spooky tunnel.**

**Perhaps I should write. We were a humble adventuring party working towards our one true goal of sainthood just like Jeanne when we were attacked by the sudden influx of arrows.**

Right I’ll write important things now. 

Anyways arrows flew at us clearly fired from deeper in the cave leaving us behind Mash’s shield. Caster Cu told us that Archer had become Saber’s lap dog. Whomever Archer was was impossible to tell since they were a shadow servant. Caster and Lancer Cu charged ahead using their unique properties to bridge the gap. Lancer Cu was able to dodge arrows without even trying which was surprising since that meant that he could dodge projectiles of any sort. That was really weird.

Caster Cu, on the other hand, shot back with several flame spells pushing Archer out of his comfort zone and forcing him to find better vantage points. Gilles and Elizabeth remained near the two of us while knocking projectiles that did make it around either Cu away from us alongside Mash. 

**It really was frightening when they started to hit my shield senpai.**

I could tell Mash was doing her best… and now she’s blushing. And now she’s flustered because I’m writing her reactions down.

**I did no such thing.**

And now she’s pouting from being shown that she was blushing.

Anyways Archer continued his assault making certain to aim for me or Olga. He seemed to be a strategist if his attacks were anything to go by. Though with every shot he took at us, left him wide open to an attack from either Cu. Eventually he ran out of places to run as Cu released Gae Bolg. 

That was his Noble Phantasm, the spear that brings death. Though Archer released a strange shield in front of him which stopped the spear at least for the first five shields… the sixth shield managed to divert the spear.

That left him to be eaten by the Wicker Man, Caster Cu’s Noble Phantasm. The sudden flames engulfed Archer and he was burnt to a crisp. The weird gold dust that made up servants floated out of the stomach.

With Archer defeated we set up our base camp at the opening of the tunnel. I think we’re gonna try to summon up more servants before we head into the tunnel to bolster our forces. At least that’s what Olga wants to do. The servants made it clear to her earlier that they would only follow my orders. I did ask them to at least listen to her if she had a good idea since I was still learning.

Mash chuckled that I was acting like the responsible younger brother to the angry older sister. Olga glowered and harrumphed though the blush on her cheeks seemed to at least indicate that she wasn’t actually mad. 

For the most part I’m thinking we should handle berserker before anything else but Caster Cu said that we didn’t need to do so. I disagreed since there was always that strange chance that Saber could force him to her side if we pushed hard enough. 

Till then we’re gonna make sure our base camp is protected. Caster Cu is placing runes around us that’ll divert monsters elsewhere.

I’m gonna nap for a bit before we start summoning.


	6. Bad Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired...

We didn’t summon anyone yet…

Too much happened. Took on Berserker as well. I’ll recount that before I get to the important parts.

We made our way out to a large empty field where it seemed a castle once stood. I didn’t think that there were medieval castles in Fuyuki but it was probably a mage’s residence. Probably well hidden as well before everything was destroyed.

He stood in the center of the area merely looking at the castle with his back to us. Obviously, he didn’t notice us. Maybe he did but didn’t care. Whatever drew him to this area was beyond my understanding though I had noticed some things now that I looked over the places we’ve been to. We passed by my aunt’s house, or what it used to be. Also my uncle’s and another of my aunt’s. They all lived in Fuyuki.

Seeing this place was… disheartening, I think the word was. My chest hurt a lot and I didn’t know if it was sadness or all the smoke.

Regardless, as soon as Berserker sensed us, he charged directly for me. Not any of the servants, but me.

I think he might have faltered when he noticed I was a child but I’m not sure. He was heavily corrupted and Caster Cu made several quips that led me to believe that even in this state he was fighting off the corruption.

It made sense if he was since Saber supposedly had a lot of trouble with him. Mash caught him with her shield and using Caster Cu’s runes, she launched him back to his starting point. He tumbled around catching himself with his large metal blade.

I think it was a jet fighter wing but it was hard to tell with all the serrated edges that had been etched into the metal. Lancer Cu stepped forward clearly excited to go on the hunt as he lunged forward. Keeping his back foot planted firmly, he fought defensively at first with Caster Cu providing firing support burning whatever he could on Berserker’s body.

Elizabeth and Gilles stood back as they charged up their own Noble Phantasms. I don’t think either of them were confident in fighting Berserker up close and personal. Unfortunately we needed to get Berserker to back off for a moment which he would not allow Cu to have.

Giving out orders was actually really scary and I didn’t know if I had given the right ones out at first.

Mash charged forward empowered by a command spell along with Caster Cu’s runes and launched the unaware Berserker away. Cu disengaged behind Elizabeth who released her Noble Phantasm. The shockwave of her voice made the ground crack and Olga had given me earplugs in case it was too loud. They didn’t help as much as I thought they would.

Berserker growled and raged as he held his ears and Gilles raised his Noble Phantasm covering the entire group under that flag. Empowered once again, Cu lunged forward allowing the two Cu Chulainns to employ their own NP’s as well.

Berserker’s wailing cry echoed around as he also disappeared into shadows and back to that weird gold dust. I think I fell down at that point and my entire body was on fire. Not literally though, that would have been pretty bad.

Apparently the constant use of their Noble phantasms finally ate through to my magic circuits leaving me weak and tired. Mash panicked even though we won and if I remember correctly I complained for juice at that point.

Lancer Cu slung me over my shoulder telling me that I should work harder and not falter at every little gain. I think he was smiling though since he didn’t let me face forward only letting me look back at where we were.

Elizabeth gushed over how well her concert was but still griped that there was only one person in attendance. I just patted her head and and she beamed like she was a puppy instead.

Honestly, the fact that she would have referred to me as piglet or squirrel at the very least made me glad she chose puppy. One was groomed to be food while the other would be considered a pest. That at least made me higher on that hierarchy if that’s what it meant. She could also be crazy so I didn’t read much more into that.

Gilles remained impassive at this point seeming to be lost in thought. I had to remind him to keep his eyes open cause he tripped a few times on the way back.

Both Cu’s were boasting about their NP being the finishing blow and had Lancer Cu not been carrying me I’m certain they would have fought. Luckily, they decided to keep it tame with a hunting competition later.

When Olga saw us though she was absolutely livid. We had left her around the tunnel surrounded in a bounded field that deterred anyone who tried to enter it. She scolded me for being so reckless…

She yelled a lot…

After a small snack break we went into the tunnel proper and travelled to where something called the Greater Grail had been placed. It was a magical engine that could actually grant the user’s wish. Even then I could tell that it probably couldn’t actually do anything of the sort reliably.

Caster Cu explained exactly who was standing in opposition against us citing her as the King of Knights. When I asked if King Arthur was a woman he seemed a bit confused. Apparently due to how this world worked there was either a male king or a female king who pretended to be male.

I was utterly confused. I didn’t understand how that worked. I am only ten… jeez.

It didn’t help that when she saw us she called out how any who sought to end the singularity would meet their end at the tip of her blade. She made it sound eloquent but it didn’t really convince me of her intentions since she remained rooted in spot with her sword planted in the ground.

Olga mentioned that out of all the Saber class servants, Artoria Pendragon was considered a top tier servant due to her magical ties to dragons. I didn’t doubt she was powerful since all bad guys wear masks over their faces showing that they are the bad guys.

That’s heroing 101 in any prefecture. At least that’s what some of my manga stated. I forgot which ones.

I didn’t get much time to contemplate that as Saber allowed a burst of mana to cover her sword. Mash stepped forward blocking the swipe as Cu and Elizabeth charged forward. They didn’t exactly get far before another swipe nearly cleaved Liz’s head off. Cu got in close enough to engage in melee allowing Gilles and Caster Cu to take better positions.

Using some of her skills, Elizabeth broke some of Saber’s armor breaking her concentration. That gave Cu the chance to stab through. She was much better though forcing another Mana burst through the ground knocking Cu back.

When she charged forward Caster Cu was ready using his runes to block her charge. It shattered under another burst of mana. It was enough time to let Cu disengage while Gilles and Liz took point alternating attacks on the King of Knights. She tried several times to Mana Burst her way through only to have her arm hit by Caster Cu’s spells.

Eventually she kicked Liz away and locked blades with Gilles. Unfortunately, she was stronger and drove him four feet into the ground. As she took her distance she managed to kick a small rock as Caster Cu distracting him. I didn’t let Lancer Cu head forward since I was using whatever mana was emanating from the grail to boost his healing. Their first struggle left him heavily wounded even if he was fighting defensively.

Then I saw this bright pillar of light… only it was dark and malevolent. Olga screamed out how we needed to get out of the area but I really doubted that we could get anywhere in time.

Mash stepped forward, shield held tight, and slammed it down as the blade flew forward. She kept the shield clenched in her fingers. I panicked and even through the cries of the others I rushed to her side. I placed my hand on hers and encouraged her to hold on strong.

As if by some weird twist of fate her shield launched the entirety of the energy straight back at Saber. When the dust settled she was standing broken but still capable. She employed her mana once more but the large scarecrow of the Wicker Man stepped up behind her capturing her and burning her alive.

As the flames rested she was losing her form and started praising us for starting the Grand Order. Olga seemed a bit panicked when she heard that and started biting her thumb.

Roman called us telling us how we needed to get the grail that had been kept within. Olga even praised me for not being a worthless master… though she said it in a backwards way.

Things… things happened after that.

A voice called out to us and the sound of Lev Lainur called out to us. He was floating in the air but I didn’t think he, as a magus, could actually do that. It didn’t help that now that I was actually looking at him I could sense all the evil.

I mean, seriously, he wore a top hat with mutton chops. That was obvious evil if I ever did see. It didn’t help that Olga began rushing for him spouting out how glad she was that he was alive.

Mash held on to me tightly stopping me from stopping her and the others had been forced to get closer to me due to the instability of the mana within the singularity.

The screaming started next as Olga was lifted into the air and Lev voiced his opinion to Roman. Humanity would end at the end of next year and there was nothing we could do.

I could still hear her screams as she was flung into Chaldea. He announced how her soul would be suffering for all eternity as he snapped his finger and the entirety of the singularity started shaking.

Then things got dark and the next thing I remember is being woken up by Roman. From that point on we talked about how dangerous it would be and if I wanted to actually still do it.

I nodded and he gave me that really sad smile on his face. It helped that Caster Cu also appeared giving us some levity to the harshness that happened.

Mash led me to my room and guided the servants to their own rooms while I held on to the grail for the moment. As time went on Leonardo Da Vinci soon came and gathered it from me. I asked if she was going to use it to make rooms for the servants.

She looked at me almost intensely when she asked me something I couldn’t answer.

She asked me why I wasn’t smiling. When I didn’t answer she gave me a hug.

I didn’t cry. I thought I would. I didn’t.

I laid down and curled up on top of the bed. I was way too tired. Way too tired after today. I just need some time to think.

My eyes stung after I closed them. It probably meant nothing but I just wanted to sleep for a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus the story begins proper. No need to drag it out any further and from this point the summoning starts with characters popping in left and right.


	7. Chaldea Summoning I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this correct? Did he really summon multiple Heroic Spirits...?
> 
> Keep looking through the notes. We need to make certain.

It’s the next morning… it’s quiet.

Mash woke me up and we did have breakfast though I didn’t eat as much as I should have. The servants were busy in their own rooms since they had gotten here. For the most part we had spare rooms due to the severe loss of staff created by Lev’s betrayal. With twenty people left there is an air of unease sweeping through the compound.

I learned this place is more a compound than a base. Bases are apparently small if Roman’s words are anything to go by. Sounds cooler as a hidden base because compound sounds like a villain hideout. I’d rather not have that be what we are since I don’t have my twirly fake mustache on me. 

My shallow attempts at easing my brain don’t help much with how many bad things are happening. Also big important things as well. I thought if I had slept then I would have woken up back at home and my week being placed in a magical clock tower would have been just that… a dream. 

Olga was thrown into Chaldeas and was now deader than dead. All the mage candidates I had met when I was first thrown to the wolves known as Chaldea’s mage population were near dead and frozen like popsicles to make sure they didn’t die. More than half the staff that ran the equipment were dead as well.

Mr. Meuniere was especially vocal about these things when Da Vinci was forced to come out of her… his workshop to take over several of the other jobs for the staff that could no longer handle their job. Both of the Cu’s helped take the bodies outside where they were buried in the snow…

It was scary outside though… I see nothing but darkness whenever I step anywhere close to outside. It was as if we were stuck in a bubble out in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t help that any of the drones that were sent out there never came back. No pictures, no signals, nothing in the void that wasn’t where Chaldea was situated existed. 

Elizabeth wanted to hold a concert to try and raise morale was shot down almost immediately due to the lack of resources. When she complained to me about not being able to do so I told her that we needed to fix things or she would have to be on a poorly made stage where she could fall through the rotted floors. I also mentioned that she would have flashed everyone her panties creating horrible rumors for her idol debut.

She quickly changed to helping with whatever else needed to be done since she was a maiden with a pure heart of an idol.

**I truly am puppy. See you understand the heart of an idol well.**

Yeah… I do. 

Gilles looked over our forces and made the first comment that perhaps we needed more manpower behind us. I knew what he meant and told him that Roman had done the repairs to the summoning system and that we would be summoning as much as we could that very day. It was going to be getting busy.

Mash was on me almost within seconds of me entering the chamber… in full gear in fact. When I asked her why she mentioned that I would need to be protected if there were dangerous elements I would get help from. Gilles and Elizabeth remained with the staff while both Cus remained with Mash and I. I took that to mean that everyone already knew what they needed to do before hand. That made me feel a lot better because I wasn’t really feeling like a master at that point.

Olga had said we would have gotten someone more experienced to handle this when we solved Singularity F… but we aren’t. We can’t. So here I am,

I placed the collection of Saint Quartz we got from the missions in Singularity F and I pressed the switches to activate the summoning.

The bright light revealed… a Craft Essence.

Craft Essences were crystallized magical objects taking the form of amulets and necklaces that seemed to boost a servant’s abilities in some way, shape or form. I didn’t use them because the strain on my magic circuits at the moment was far too dangerous especially should anything happen to my connection to Chaldea. It didn’t help that I had to wade into battle as well otherwise my servants would be rendered unable to fight. I usually placed the CE’s into my storage unit until I actually needed them.

The rings of light spun again and suddenly a new servant appeared from the flash. The new lady before me had this strange seafoam green or aqua hair with these cute white dragon horns on her head. She wore a blue-green kimono that seemed to show off her legs up to her thighs with high white stockings with gold trimming. In her hand was a closed gold trimmed fan and she kept quiet as her eyes opened on me.

It was her eyes that seemed to really draw my attention. Yellow but off in a sense. She didn’t look like she was looking at me and instead seemed to be examining me. She revealed her name to me as Kiyohime and told me quite plainly not to lie to her. I didn’t know what she meant but I said okay almost absentmindedly. She smiled but no matter what the smile never reached her eyes. I think she was disappointed by how young I looked. As for why she was I didn’t really know.

She quietly went up to the staff standing with Elizabeth who eyes her warily. I’m not certain but I think she was jealous of her style.

**I’m not jealous puppy!**

**My my… master. You have strange servants with you.**

Now Kiyo starts writing… right later then I’ll explain that to her.

I waited as another Craft Essence appeared… and another… and then these golden orbs appeared in the summoning chamber and another servant appeared before us.

She was a small girl with long purple hair set up in twintails. She wore a long flowing white dress with a small bow adorning the front right side of her dress. She seemed to be my height as well but I didn’t say anything about that. Better I be on the right foot with servants I summoned.

She seemed to chuckle lightly before asking me who I was. I gave my name but her eyes were cold as well. Not burrowing into your soul cold but clearly uninterested cold. When she mentioned she was a goddess Roman broke out into a cold sweat since that meant I had summoned a divine spirit as a servant but that that was impossible. 

I pointed as who I now knew as Stheno and he nearly had a panic attack. I’m certain Da Vinci was trying to get him to man up once again. She eyed me curiously… also getting really close to peer into my eyes. I didn’t back down but it was really hard to look her in the eyes. I don’t know why but that was how it was.

**Poor little master… it’s only because I love you… just kidding <3**

Yup… that must be it.

I ignored her comment as she started walking up to the rest of the servants standing with the staff. That was when another flash of light appeared and another woman appeared. She was wearing a white kimono and had long brown or black hair. She also had very revealing legs which seemed to grab my attention. I wondered if she was cold.

She announced herself as Jing Ke though she was a bit saddened to be called after a failure she suffered. Though she would plan better and gave me a gentle smile. I nodded to her and she took a stance near Mash looking over the other servants around. 

I noticed that a lot of them were looking at the other servants clearly confused about what was going on. Already several servants and I was tagged as their master. 

I placed some more of the stored up Saint Quartz back into the device after all the summoning contracts had finished. I was asked by Mash if we had enough for more and I nodded. For some reason Da Vinci had given me some extra quartz for the rituals.

Another ring of summoning and a large man with wild red hair and orange ornate chinese armor. He held a large spear as well and his eyes were blanked out as he stared down at me. The roar he let out shook the very building around me. He didn’t say anything else but crossed his arms in front of me. I held out my hand for him and everyone freaked out.

Instead the man kneeled down and shook my hand very cordially. Then he took a seat on the upper level with the rest of the staff closing his eyes in deep thought. I’m pretty sure Roman was having a heart attack and I had to look up his name. Apparently it was Lu Bu and he was the chinese general from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms era.

Whether he would follow didn’t really matter when I looked back on it. I just needed to be careful not to get on his bad side. If anything he just seemed to be sizing me up as someone not worth the effort to go against. Roman and Da Vinci took Lancer Cu away for a bit to talk with him about something but I don’t know what about just yet.

Another ring of light appeared and a tall woman appeared before me with long purple hair and a black dress with pink trim. She looked exactly like the servant that attacked us in Fuyuki. Even the same chains as well. She mentioned how if I required a sacrifice I was free to use her as I wished.

Of course that didn’t last long as Stheno came down and confronted her younger sister Medusa. There was a lot of problems as Stheno pulled her away to have some fun at her sister’s expense. I would need to talk with her later.

After the summoning was done Da Vinci came down mentioning that we could do some more lenient summonings. When I asked her what she meant she mentioned that sometimes the runoff quantum particles would become similar to summoning tokens of a sort manifesting items which could be used to summon servants as well.

I didn’t understand anything but that we could summon more which she sighed and smiled with a quick nod. I asked for these tokens and she provided them for me. They looked like tokens… which had Da Vinci giving a winking smile with her tongue stuck out. I didn’t know how to react to that and merely smiled and nodded.

**Please little Rituska, don’t mock my designs.**

I didn’t mock anything.

I quietly put the tokens in place as I set up another summoning ritual. The lights flashed again and there were more rings of light as another servant appeared. He wore a long flowing purple robe and had his hands up like a composer. He loudly announced himself as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and mentioned that he couldn’t fight and would be better suited as set dressing.

I was slightly underwhelmed but nodded and he smiled and took off for the upper level. I could still hear Medusa trying to desperately console her sister… although it sounded more like bullying. I’m not sure just right now.

Another flash of light and suddenly another tall figure stood in front of me. He had a large mane of white hair and horns on top of his head. The mask on his face was intimidating and he held two large battle axes that acted like spears as well. I stood in front of him and I was certain that Mash was shuffling towards me as he roared out a greeting. I looked up his name on my little watch thingie and I called out to Asterios.

Immediately he looked as me, I think, and knelt down. I said hi to him and he nodded carefully. I don’t think he was used to being called his name but I did so anyways. He sat down nearby and I’m certain Mash wanted to talk to me at how brazen I was acting. 

As I was about to turn away another flash of light appeared. Another man appeared though his long black beard and lack of shirt was startling. He laughed jovially mentioning that he was Blackbeard. Then he mentioned that green was the enemy. 

I immediately asked him what kind of green which caused him to stumble. I pretty sure it was the color but he said it was the money. But money is silver and in coin form, isn’t it?

We got into a discussion about how green was the enemy and Caster Cu mentioned that he probably meant inexperience and nothing literally. Blackbeard clarified saying that it was money. Money was the root of all evil. 

I had always thought that arrogance was the root of all evil which Lu Bu roared out against. Apparently it wasn’t but I didn’t know if I could trust that sentiment.

When all was said and done I ushered all the servants into one of the conference rooms and we all discussed about how we were fighting against the destruction of all human history and how everything that wasn’t Chaldea was gone into a void from which there was no escape… as far as we know it.

Most of the servants were a little stunned because that meant that they would be working together in some form without fighting over a Holy Grail to grant their wish. The fact that I was their master on all fronts made it clear just how screwed things were.

**Don’t worry master. We’ll make our dreams come true. We’ll each get a harem.**

**Master, I don’t think the holy saint would approve of this odious pirate.**

**Well as long as I can get drunk it should be fine.**

**Master is so young… so young. Ah~ Anchin-sama…**

**I don’t think this is a good idea for little puppy…**

How does everyone get my book when I’m not looking. Blackbeard, then Gilles, followed by Jing Ke, and Kiyohime. I thought Elizabeth had it at first but she had it last. 

For the most part we would work towards raising everyone up to stronger levels. Over the course of the day we used the simulator to farm embers from the hands that were called up.

Da Vinci mentioned that it was created due to all the Quantum Particles floating around allowing greater forms of magic. For the most part I nodded during all the difficult technical aspects and mentioned it was a secret technique for her. She once again smiled and nodded though I wasn’t sure if she enjoyed that since she was a master of expression.

Regardless today was better… not by much but it was. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try summoning some more since the Doctor still has to find the next singularity. It might take a bit of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These were the first servants I summoned during my first couple days. I summoned more over the course of five days or so, so prepare for an influx of characters.


	8. Getting Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why are there more servants being summoned. So many are being brought in without any level of reverence.
> 
> This child is acting like the servants are friends or loved ones. Is he a moron?
> 
> Shut up. Keep figuring out what he did now...

Well today was weird once again. We had training days with everyone trying to make certain that everyone can handle working with each other. There was no lack of gripes today.

Kiyohime and Elizabeth get along well enough. But when Elizabeth tried to get praise out of me Kiyohime got pissed and told her off. Apparently Anchin could only praise her. I was confused about who Anchin was until she gave me a very pointed stare. 

Oh… I was Anchin. When I said I don’t run from anyone unless absolutely necessary I suddenly was trapped in her embrace. I mean my face was stuck in a really soft place but her arms squeezed me tight. I managed to squeeze back using my strengthening magic to pick her off the ground and gain my footing back. It was barely enough to cause her to faint. I think Roman called it swooning but I didn’t understand any of that. I just gave her a hug. 

Luckily she sat quietly in a daze while the practice continued. Elizabeth was awed by my sheer audacity… or maybe it was shocked. I’m not sure because she got a headache during the training so we had to switch members around. 

Caster Cu didn’t like working with his Lancer counterpart. There were several moments I was sure he was swearing at Lancer Cu because he didn’t have his spear with him.

There was also the Lance Incident where someone got stabbed in the arm. Wasn’t me luckily but Lancer Cu has never been a more capable lefty. I spent an hour healing his arm up with help from Mozart.

I say help but it was really just him providing a little more magical support. Caster Cu would have done it but he was currently bleeding out on the floor being taken care of by Roman and Da Vinci.

Asterios was quiet until his axes tore through a hand but with Lu Bu they sometimes had small contests against one another. I had to keep a close eye on Lu Bu because he sometimes gave off this murderous smirk which made me worried that he wasn’t as mad as he portrayed himself. 

Asterios didn’t seem to enjoy working with him but that was something he seemed to internalize. I couldn’t see his eyes but the master servant link for telepathic conversation went off sometimes where he told me that he was uncomfortable around him.

I told him we needed to work together otherwise we would be in a lot of problems later on. He growled slightly but soon lulled into a sigh. I hoped he would be fine with this for a short while.

Lu Bu made many mentions of criticisms through that link calling me soft. I just agreed which at least made him stop telling me he was glad I admitted it. That was a bit demeaning but I didn’t feel like arguing with him until I got to know him better. Even then I didn’t want to argue with him due to his historical nature as a betrayer.

Medusa was the one I felt the worse for. Stheno put her through a lot in a very sisterly way. I hesitate to call it that. I patted Medusa on the head whenever she was mistreated though I think Stheno took that as a slight that I wasn’t giving her too much attention. She noted that I didn’t bend a knee to her since she was a goddess.

I didn’t really get it but told her that I couldn’t bend a knee since I’m already short enough as I was. I saw her eye to eye but that was because she was around my height. I don’t know if she took my answer seriously though.

**Master… your innocence is amusing…**

That sounds sarcastic. Mash agreed but since she was busy guarding me I think she would be protective most if not all the time.

**Senpai that’s not true. Now watch what you’re doing so we can get through this easily.**

Oh right we have things to do.

Dr. Roman has us work in the simulator against these hand creatures that seemed to drop embers a lot of the time. It took me hours just to get enough to raise my servants up. It didn’t help that for some reason the simulator ran off a master’s mana but I didn’t know why that limitation was in place in the first place.

Then Da Vinci explained that it was a larger pool that would allow more masters to work together building up trust and unity. Since I was the only master though it could only pull so much from me before I was incapacitated.

Luckily there was a solution. Da Vinci brought out several apples of differing colors… but not were what apples should be. Bronze, silver and gold apples lined up on the table. Apparently our last botanist left behind notes… before they were blown out a window down the mountain. No body was found. I was confused if it was a metaphor but it wasn’t. Their body was thrown out by the explosion and tossed through the reinforced window breaking it. The body wasn’t found due to the loss of the outside world.

I didn’t want to think about it. Regardless she explained that the apples acted like mana batteries… but didn’t taste like them. She had to clarify for me. We needed a bit more training time so she handed me a bronze apple.

It tasted really dry… I didn’t know what to expect but I thought juicy would have been one of those things. It was sour too… maybe it was made of a Granny Smith apple as the base. I didn’t question it when I felt a sudden burst of mana. It made me fall to my knees. 

It wasn’t a taste I would ever get used to but I pushed through. We had one more session and I made sure Mozart pulled his weight.

**Ah mon ami, how cruel. I should play the overture instead of conduct.**

He had to fight too since I had to be on the field as well. It was only fair.

After the session ended everyone returned to their rooms. Kiyohime did manage to get a hold of herself but even I don’t know if that was enough. She followed me for several rooms before I asked her to go rest. I even gave her headpats as well. She followed through and I did yell out that it didn’t mean my room. She pouted but followed through.

Dr. Roman pulled me aside saying that we managed to scrape up some more quantum materials for a random summon. I nodded and followed through on that going into the summoning chamber. Mash was there. She was always there by my side so I made sure to be on my best behavior. I was a senpai now.

**Don’t do anything to stressful senpai. Your ever faithful kouhai shall support you.**

I just smiled at that and activated the summon.

When the light dimmed a new woman stood before us. She was very beautiful with long brown hair and grey eyes. She wore an orange top which didn’t seem to cover a lot and orange skirt. There was a lot of orange on her which made me question some things. The biggest question was how she was an assassin when she looked so vibrant. 

She ‘tsk’ed me saying that using such words on a lady might be taken too seriously. I immediately got in her face telling her I was really serious. I don’t know how well she took it since she blushed. She then said that being too forward would be bad as a master.I accepted that as fact. 

Her name was Mata Hari. I was a bit confused but accepted that as fact. I told her about the other servants and how many other servants were also summoned.

**My my… so many servants. Master seems to have a lot of people on his side.**

I do… which I admitted was weird. It didn’t make sense and I wondered how bad things were to allow this to happen. She seemed to give me a long stare but merely patted me on the head. 

Mash took her to her room which surprised her a lot more. 

I was tired ever since that apple. It tasted so weird to me. Maybe it was just too much mana in my system or maybe something else. I’m not sure. I’m gonna try sleeping for a bit.


	9. Mash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a small entry... who is it from?
> 
> That girl with the shield...

**Senpai is sleeping now. He was so tired from working so hard.**

**I’ve been thinking so hard about things right now since Senpai used up his mana for all of us and just…**

**I decided to make a small entry here under my name only because I asked senpai earlier. He says that he never rereads his journal but I don’t know why. In fact the magic that was on it seems really weak and fluctuates letting any and all servants write a bit within. This is the first time that I’ve actually written so much within it.**

**Senpai is cute when he’s asleep snoring away without a care in the world.**

**Thinking about it it was strange that he was chosen for this. Senpai is only ten years old while I’m around fifteen. He seems to be so mature even then.**

**Some of the servants call it naïveté… but then he acts more aware muddling that. Asterios mentioned how kind master is though it was quiet and almost unhearable. As it stands senpai is kind to all of us… even when Stheno is trying to manipulate him he acts unaware of the manipulation.**

**Mata Hari seems a bit guarded against master though. I asked her why but she was very evasive about it only mentioning how a little guy could handle something like this. I’ve tried digging a bit more but there really isn’t much to say on that front.**

**Senpai’s life is shrouded in slight mystery. His parentage with mages is nearly nonexistent and any ties are tenuous at best. From the looks of it he seems to be related somehow to the Tohsaka family lineage albeit barely. There are some discrepancies though which can’t be accounted for.**

**When Dr. Roman was looking over his records he noted that several of them were doctored… heavily doctored in fact. Most of his birth records had several blocks of redacted text upon them in fact.**

**The mystery that is senpai is something even I wouldn’t know where to start with. Though I have heard him sing some strange songs. Strange in the fact that they are in different languages. He sang at least two American songs, a Korean pop song, even a German one as well.**

**Senpai has many talents apparently… but when I praised him for it, he waved it off. Apparently, he found them useless skills because no one but his uncle understood them.**

**The only reason he understood them was because he was the traveling type. He traveled all over the world helping people. Senpa didn’t elaborate though since not even he knew what that meant.**

**Senpai also mentioned something weird of someone watching him while he slept. From that point on Kiyohime was placed on a watch list of things you aren’t allowed to do now.**

**Gotta wake up senpai now since we got to do some more work. Also Dr. Roman seems to be worried about something happening whenever he scans the world.**

**Something about the recorder picking up a bunch of Umu’s in the background whatever that means. Time to wake up senpai.**


	10. Umu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First test summoning using book as catalyst ended in failure. 
> 
> Over 200 different spirits attempted to pass through the summoning killing every homunculus we were using to fuel the experiment.
> 
> All attempts to destroy the book afterwards were met with failure. Fire was absorbed. Blades were dulled. When drenched in water it came out dry as a bone. Chemicals of all sorts slid off leaving no marks of any kind.

Mash woke me up early as the doctor called the two of us. Apparently a small disturbance was found while they were scanning for the first singularity. I also noticed that someone else wrote in my journal… I didn’t read it though.

For someone like me… I don’t want to read the past. At least not until I know it’s all over. And this… this is nowhere close to over. 

Anyways when we appeared in front of the doctor he looked completely exasperated. Someone had created a mini singularity that would eventually fade away but instead he told us that we could speed it up by shifting into it. 

He also mentioned hearing someone going  _ umu _ over and over again. She also had this horrible screech that nearly made his ears bleed. I was certain that he was exaggerating until he took the small pieces of gauze he had stuck in his ears. Sure enough they were covered in blood.

I took a deep breath and accepted that that was our course of action. I sharply did mention that we should summon some more people on our side to make certain we could handle it.

It was indeed a stalling tactic which Stheno mildly called me out on though when I accepted it so proudly she tch’ed me. Apparently I was so open that it was hard to have fun with me. I didn’t understand at all and she mentioned that I was too innocent though she couldn’t look me eye to eye at the very least.

Dr. Roman agreed with my assessment though he ruffled my head at how confident I was in my idea. He said I was becoming a cautious person. I didn’t think so. I was being smart about this since there was a chance that we would be ambushed by whomever was in that rift and if their singing was that bad then we needed all the help we could get.

Da Vinci led us to the summoning chamber and I used the regular quantum particle summon instead of the saint quartz summoning. I had to be stringent with spending saint quartz because we didn’t have a surplus of it on hand.

The orbs flowed as a new lancer appeared wearing a bronze helm that hid his face. Wielding a long spear and a hoplite shield he announced himself as Leonidas, King of Sparta. His cape billowed in the nonexistent wind which looked really cool. 

I want a cape that billowed in the wind even when there is no wind.

**Senpai would look cute like that…**

No Mash it would be cool. 

**A-ah ha ha ha… yes cool. That’s what I meant.**

Silly Mash. Anyways I welcomed him to Chaldea but before I could show him around another servant flew out of the light as well. She wore a purple dress but her face was hidden under a black hood with gold trim that also formed a cape around her. She took one look at me and mentioned that I was a cute master.

I got close and tried to look under her hood. Her eyes were kind of cold until I looked into them. I don’t think being summoned by a kid was what she expected. I waved my fingers gently at her which she struggled to return. It was as if she was arguing with herself about what she wanted to do. I still have her a smile and she bit her lip for some reason.

**Master! Even if you are a child we must train your awareness more!**

I know Leonidas. We will do so after this mission. For now let’s focus on the now.

I did learn the new lady’s name though. She was Medea. That sounded nice. 

There were a few more craft essences including some black keys which were kind of useless in the long run. Just as I assumed that we were done another glow appeared and suddenly this large cloaked man appeared before us. He wore a skull mask and the cloak was darker than the deepest shadow.

He announced himself as an assassin servant that heard my call from the shadows. He was very mysterious kind of like Batman… hm…

**No Lord Mage. I am Hassan - i - Sabbah. You may call me Hassan of the Cursed Arm though in case any of my brethren are summoned as well.**

Oh… okay. But just in case…

**Lord Mage…**

Fine. I’ll remember. I certainly wasn’t pouting. Anyways I introduce the three making certain to mention that any servant summoned to Chaldea is working towards the restoration of humanity as it was apparently all destroyed leaving nothing behind but whispers and echoes. Also probably blood and bodies but Cu probably was kidding. 

Introducing the new servants to the others brought about some surprise. Medea and Hassan of the Cursed Arm knew Medusa and Lancer Cu Chulainn. I think Cu was a little too happy to see Hassan because he looked like he wanted to murder him. I thought that they didn’t remember their previous summonings. 

Medea clarified that they remember some things better than others. For the most part they are summoned as their own being with the chance to start new lives for themselves.

I nodded and thought I got it. Basically it was like a save game and they were always doing New Game Plus taking only the bare essentials. I was met with uncertain stares and numb nods. I really have to open my chest and make a small recreation center. Maybe Da Vinci will make one later. I’ll have to ask.

Regardless I mentioned that we found a place that’s acting up and we were rayshifting out. Lancer Cu immediately volunteered as did Hassan, Leonidas, Kiyohime and Asterios. 

Taking that as Providence we made our way towards the rayshifting chamber. Dr. Roman made certain we were secure with Mash taking her place next to me. The coffins were really really tight. I kind of didn’t like the small space but I knew it wouldn’t last for too long.

The light dimmed and I was once again in this psychedelic tube of purple lights. Or maybe blue. I couldn’t tell really.

We landed with a thud and before us was a large coliseum filled to the brim with fanfare and merriment. Before us stood a Saber class servant who immediately took us as contenders for her tournament. Her boisterousness was only matched by how bright red the clothes she was wearing.

From there she took off to host and we were left to our own devices. The constant flux of medals made things pretty fun overall though everyone was enjoying the carnage too much. Though Kiyohime was close to me… acting like my shadow.

**I am always close Anchin sama~ <3**

Yes… yes you are. But I’m Ritsuka, not Anchin.

**I know Anchin-sama. I know very well. But you are more than likely Anchin reborn. Don’t worry. I shall make you into a wonderful husband.**

I need an adult.

**I am an adult.**

Right. I need another adult then.

Anyways the medal collecting was fun and the power of the singularity was a bit too weak. Everything settled and we returned home as soon as everyone got some training in.

**Ah but I’m naught but a simple composer. Kinder shouldn’t make this musician do such barbaric acts.**

Right. Mozart needs a bit more training then.

**Scheiß…**

Once all was said and done the singularity faded and we were once again waiting for the next big thing to occur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never played the first run of Nero Fest. I joined the game after Orion’s event had taken place so I can’t really say much about what happened or if I’m even right. And no I didn’t summon either version of Nero for a long time.


	11. Elizabeth Bathory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All attempts at reading this page have driven several of our test subjects insane. We are losing hope of figuring out this secret but nothing has come of it.
> 
> Lord El-Melloi has been breathing down our necks because of the detriment the book has been causing. Lady Reines is more appalled by the loss of so many personnel. We need to figure out a better way to summon servants through this artifact.

**Hi hi! It’s your ever loving idol Eli -chan bringing with her a rondo of blood and guts to all those fun loving people as I once again show off my talented voice. Truly a more lovable idol has never been seen.**

**Right now, puppy is busy working on paperwork due to the singularity. Apparently the lack of staff has given way to make the puppy work harder. As his everloving idol I shall do everything in my power to make certain he showers me with love.**

**Agh… migraines.**

**I wonder sometimes… if I’m deluding myself. Every once in a while I see this glittering sea of stars far beyond the veil. Though those turn to nightmares quickly and I forget everything that happened. I remember something like a pig or a squirrel but they always seem okay.**

**Puppy seems more accepting. More likely to support me for my dream. Is this another delusion though…?**

**Sometimes I wonder. I’m going to be an idol of course… but it seems like I want to do more.**

**The piggy… or squirrel keep trying to make me see my actions more. Then the migraine starts again. I wonder why I keep seeing that sea of stars far beyond the shadow of the moon sometimes.**

**Ah it’s funny to think that puppy has been so supported… what was I writing about?**

**Hm… idols… yes idols.**

**I shall be an idol someday thanks to puppy working hard to help me become something bigger. My debut went very wrong… but I know that was a fluke. I’ve become better.**

* * *

**I was a Countess of Blood… but since I’m in my prime, my fourteen year old self, I can work to my dream as an idol.**

**Puppy was curious about me being fourteen. He said I seem like an older person. I got a little ticked off when he said that… until he clarified that I seemed a bit more mature.**

~~**I hope he doesn’t notice how childish I am.** ~~

**I am the picture of perfection on idol form. Nothing about me is lacking at all. Puppy should have known better but it’s fine since I’m an idol.**

* * *

**I warned puppy never to show weakness to me. I would have crushed him like a grape if he did. I shouldn’t have done that…**

**I’m trying to be better and he’s only a child. A ten year old. I’m confused on why I said that… Puppy mentioned I looked like I was having a migraine. I’ve been keeping it under control but I guess I can’t always take care of it.**

**Puppy had me rest my head on his lap… it was so embarrassing and he didn’t seem to even feel the least bit embarrassed. I was** **so ~~red from all this~~** **frustrated by all this.**

**Stupid puppy…**

* * *

**I can’t believe I told puppy that. I shouldn’t have done so.**

**He asked me about how I was doing and for some reason I blurted out how I didn’t mind underground places. Then I said how scared I get in dark prison like places where there’s no way out.**

**The dark has always been a bad place. I’ve never been able to deal with them for the most part. I even admitted I was crazy…**

**But I’ve always been crazy I guess.**

**Puppy mentioned that he was crazy as well. I didn’t understand what he meant but he clarified by telling me how he ran into a place where all the masters had been hurt before he summoned me. Explosions everywhere and he rushed in to see if anyone needed help.**

**I’ve found a good puppy to take care of me. Maybe I should try to be better.**

* * *

**I’ve mentioned a lot of things about being an idol. Puppy seemed confused about it but didn’t make himself clear.**

**I had to tell him that idols are around being cute and being pampered which is the best job for me. He gave me one of those concerned looks like if I was saying something crazy. I mean I already admitted it but he didn’t need to poke at that wound.**

**Then he told me he was worried about me. Idols had hellish things they went through. He said they were forbidden from being in love and the moment their looks went south they would get someone new. They also pushed them into horrible situations whenever they agreed to make themselves better idols. He didn’t know what but apparently one of his aunts told him that idols went through horrible private lives.**

**That can’t be true.**

**… Can it?**

* * *

**Puppy, you mean the world to me. You can’t be my manager but maybe my PA. It would make things better.**

~~**I’m glad you don’t read through this again. I would die of embarrassment if you ever read this. Had you read this I would deny it with all my heart. Especially since you’re still so young.** ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based on her bond lines which is how I'll be handling character pieces.


	12. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have the students found anything?
> 
> No, so far there haven't been any links. We've tried to isolate it to less servants but the mana consumption killed seventy more homunculi. The Musik family are starting to get pissed off.
> 
> Keep them privy to the setback but lessen the losses and sublimate them with different homunculus from other families.

Tired… so tired. I’m only writing this because I’ve kept enough energy in my arms just for this. I think Elizabeth found my journal and wrote in it. I didn’t read it and just started my next entry on the next page.

Maybe I should start from the top. Leonidas had pulled me aside after the coliseum debacle mentioning that I seemed a bit weaker though he knew I was only a child. I think he was working around my age trying to make it not sound as bad as it sounded in the first place. He worked his way around to mentioning training. 

I thought about it and accepted that it was a necessity. He was a bit worried because I was too old to start Spartan training but we would work up to that.

What?

**Come master! We run in the training simulator until we’re stronger! Charge!**

* * *

 

It took me five hours before I had finished. My legs were on fire and I was sweating so much. Is this what people do. God this feels like way too much.

During the afternoon I was able to get a good lunch when I thought about the other things I needed to work on I decided to look for a teacher. 

It took me a bit but I did find her when I really put my mind to it. I found Medea’s room and got in.

**I didn’t agree to this.**

Big sis Medea is the best since she’ll teach. I didn’t get why she’s blushing.

**I’m not blushing! Let’s get this lesson over with.**

See. The best. Now I can learn some magic and not feel like a total failure to my family.

**Um… master? Are you a failure to your family?**

I’m actually not but I don’t know what they think since the Magic Association and Clock Tower Personnel shipped me off because I was a master candidate with 100% compatibility for summoning servants and rayshifting. Also I think my aunt was Mister Zelretch’s apprentice or something like that. I didn’t see her before I left and the darkness outside those doors cut us off from all human history where if we fail we will be erased from history completely.

**Let’s… let’s just start your lesson. What did they teach you before you left?**

I learned strengthening magic to make my body tougher. When I left I could chop through three planks of wood. I also could make small stones fly through the air. It wasn’t very far but I could do that much. Otherwise, I was unremarkable in every single way that matters to the Mage Association.

**I see… this will be tough. Let’s begin.**

* * *

 

My body is burning now. Medea made me learn to strengthen my body more. I was forced to lift weights while my magic was active. She kept increasing the weight over and over until I could carry fifty pounds.

She said I needed to keep working on making that stronger since my magic circuits were volatile. She also noted that they had been implanted from someone else.

When I mentioned seeing this person with purple eyes and white hair at the Association Medea looked slightly pissed. She calmed down when I said that they put me to sleep before anything happened. She looked sadder than usual but she told me to work hard and get better.

I don’t know why she was sad. I’ll find out someday but for now it’s time to rest.

I didn’t summon anyone else today but I’ll summon tomorrow after my training with Leonidas.

Maybe I should get some rest.

* * *

 

I entered the summoning chamber even though I was tired and tried another quantum particle summon.

**Senpai, we’re ready for summoning.**

I flipped the switch and the light spun around. Within moments we had more black keys… until a servant finally answered the call. A tall man with blue tinted hair and roman armor stepped out of the light. His eyes were blackened with small red irises. He grunted out that his actions were his destiny before he locked eyes with me. Apparently he was a Berserker and he seemed to look at me with some confusion. He had a lot of trouble speaking with me but I eventually got through to him that we were fighting against a threat that wanted to destroy humanity.

Caligula, as I later found out, grunted and accepted that. Asterios offered to take him to the quarters. Da Vinci made a large room for all the Berserkers to live in because of the madness that sometimes overtakes them can ruin a lot of furniture. Before he could leave another servant came out of the light.

He screamed at the top of his lungs wielding a large blood red axe hefted over his shoulder. He laughed as well and I had to find out that his name was Eric Bloodaxe. Very fitting honestly.

He accepted the fight for humanity but his tone would shift from raving lunatic to calm oratory scholar. It was weird… mostly because the scholar voice sound female. I had to look up what that meant finding out that his wife was a witch and spoke through their link somehow. I think she was angry with me for summoning but tempered herself if only because I was a child.

Two Berserkers popping up in one day was a big surprise. I didn’t actually expect that would happen so readily. Either way we grew a bit larger in Chaldea today. Though that means we’ll have to train more people tomorrow. That’s okay though. I’m having fun overall… regardless of how I feel when I look out those windows into the darkness beyond.

I did wonder what we were going to do for August when Dr. Roman mentioned a lunar viewing party. That sounded nice.


	13. Moonlight Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why the hell is the enchantment not working on us!
> 
> Um sir?
> 
> What!?
> 
> The book just told you to f@$& off.
> 
> What the hell is wrong with this book!

It’s funny… something I did as a joke came to reality. 

A while back when I started writing these entries I made it a joke by copying down what others said or when it was really serious I would write down what one of the servants said. When I had some fun with Da Vinci on that she used her magecraft to allow the book to copy down words without my pen touching the pages. The fact that I hadn’t noticed this wasn’t until I looked at one of the last times a servant spoke with me. They hadn’t taken the book from me yet their words appeared before me.

**Senpai it’s time for dinner.**

See! It happened again. I can’t believe it.

**Senpai, are you okay?**

Yes. I’m fine.

Anyways… this last mission was tough. While I eat I’m still thinking about everything that happened. It was nuts to say the least. Even as Mash tries to cut my food for me I’m still reeling about certain things.

**Senpai you need to eat your greens.**

I can cut them Mash. Don’t worry about it.

Alright. Now that she is distracted I can finish this little bit of work now.

So Dr. Roman had gotten us together for a small moon viewing party. The problem I saw was that we didn’t have any way to view the moon since we couldn’t see the heavens beyond the clouds. So he suggested that we use the rayshift system to find a location where we could do so.

Before we could someone pilfered all our dumpling snacks into a small blip of a singularity. Without warning we were launched into the fray trying to figure out why someone managed to steal away all our snacks for the moon viewing.

When we got there this lady wearing a white dress that slowly went orange to red at the bottom stood before us. She claimed that she was the servant Orion. Mash had questioned why they were female but she quickly argued that she was actually a woman. Since that King Arthur was actually a woman in male’s armor.

That was technically true but something was off and I couldn’t tell why.

After we defeated the werewolves I stopped everything right then and there. I asked Orion to step down to my level. I grabbed her by her cheeks and looked straight into her eyes asking her if she was the hunter Orion. 

Mash was confused by my actions but I justified it by seeing it on TV once. Liars can’t look you in your eyes from what i remember. The lady before me couldn’t look me straight dead in the eyes. I didn’t say anything at the time though. The pugryuu sound I heard caught my attention but I didn’t know where it came from.

_ Orion _ or whoever this servant actually was remarked that she would help us get the dumplings we lost back. She noted that there were at the very least three groups that had taken them.

We tracked through the forest only to run into three servants whom I didn’t know yet. When they wouldn’t give the dumplings back I asked Lu Bu to handle negotiations. It seemed to work well though I couldn’t hear how persuasive he was over the sound of their screams. Even when Amadeus Mask came out he couldn’t stop Lu Bu from berserking all over them. When all was said and done we got the dumplings back and for some reason the lady in the white dress kissed my cheek. I think Mash got a bit frustrated at that but passively held back.

I didn’t remark on it since it felt more like a parent child thing. Lu Bu made some snarky comments in my head telling me that maybe someday I would have a harem. When I thought about how badly that could end he laughed uproariously even through what sounded like roars.

Our second group had willingly given back the dumplings up until  _ Orion _ pointed out that there were dumplings hidden in pockets, bags and behind backs with the three would be saints. So, of course, we had to fight back. Lu Bu and Cursed Arm Hassan helped this time using their skills to take down the dragon slaying trio. I did learn that the lady beat up a dragon with her fists so that was interesting.

Honestly, I kind of went from one fight to the next collecting dumplings and rare dumplings back for our small moon viewing festival. It was the next group that gave us some trouble. 

Caligula and a rotund Saber attempted to stop us from taking back our dumplings but his strange almost alluring way of talking didn’t stop me from realizing that he had tried to rip us off.

Mata Hari assisted this time using her charming self to keep the two from attacking too often. It made things nice and easy for Lu Bu and Hassan to strike weak points and incapacitate them. For some reason Lu Bu was being very cooperative. I found out he had reserved several rare dumplings for himself later and I was basically doing a deity’s work for retrieving them for him.

I just smiled and nodded at that assessment if only because I didn’t want to open that can of worms. When they were defeated the bag started squirming around. Caligula regained enough sanity and opened the bag only to be sliced in half! It was shocking though that wasn’t the version of Caligula I had summoned to Chaldea. He later told me that the moon healed him in Chaldea… but that, that wasn’t him when we rayshifted. It was confusing and before he lost himself into screaming said something about parallel something. I didn’t get it.

The new servant stopping us from taking them back was a tan servant wearing a white bikini styled clothing. She also was really shiny and I asked her if she wanted to sit down eating dumplings with me. She looked at me when I asked and almost got her to agree but something made her deny it telling me that Moon festivals were bad civilizations.

The rotund Saber fought with us keeping the lady from getting close while Orion kept her movements closed with precise shots… though her form was pretty bad. 

It was a tough fight and I almost died twice from a close range slash but we pulled through as the servant disappeared in the same golden mist that came from defeated servants.

As our mission came to an end  _ Orion _ disappeared as well and Dr. Roman managed to finally reach us. While I was polite to invite the rotund Saber back to Chaldea with us he decline on principle. He gave a very cryptic warning and we were whisked back to Chaldea.

Later that very night I was whisked away into my dreams. Apparently servants can accidentally bring their masters into their dreamscapes if their bonds are very close. We were back in the same field and before us stood  _ Orion _ , or should I say Artemis. 

Apparently, because we held the moon festival in the summoning chamber it brought Artemis to Chaldea’s doorstep. She made a link through me allowing herself to be able to be summoned. Unfortunately, we also had to fight her as well.

It wasn’t a very hard battle though… I mean I had more trouble facing the tan Saber than I did facing her. I think it was because she wasn’t using her own spirit origin and was stuck using Orion’s spirit origin. 

I need to go over these rules again because they can get so confusing. A Divine spirit can’t be summoned unless they lower their power. The only way to do so is either take on a vessel or place stringent locks on their power. They could also be so weak that the servant container would actually make them stronger than they usually were.

While we were able to defeat Orion or Artemis our contract was still not fulfilled. She wasn’t in Chaldea but she was capable of being summoned. It would just take some time to make come true.

I’ll have to do summoning later. Tomorrow later in fact. Dr. Roman also said he’s made headway to finding out where the next singularity is. I’m looking forward to our first mission.

**Senpai, it’s time for bed.**

Okay Mash… and again it wrote in for me. How does it do that so well! A question for another day… or maybe I should just count my blessings. It makes it easier to handle any of the problems writing a journal under stress brings.

I also learned one rule. The book has to be opened to start copying down words. Small semblance of control for me at least. 

Oh cool! I actually used that word in a sentence. Medea will give me that cookie tomorrow! Yay!


	14. Chaldea Summoning II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sir we have good news and bad news and slight good news for the bad news.
> 
> What's the good news?
> 
> The book is not haunted or possessed. Or causing any other harmful effect when it tells us to f*** off.
> 
> That's great... so what's the bad news?
> 
> The book is cursed or at least has a curse inlaid within it through those speech spells.
> 
> Cursed!? Shouldn't we get rid of it then?
> 
> Well that's the slightly good news. All it does is let the book insult us. Nothing more.
> 
> F***ing hell... just get an enforcer to figure out how to break the curse. Now! Before Zelretch comes back from his little soiree amongst the other associations. I don't need him knowing about this possibility.

_ *munch munch* _

If I’m close enough the book picks up sound effects. Weird…

Anyways today is another day and I am enjoying my cookie. Truly a word of the day calendar had proven most useful in the acquirement of snacks.

**Just because you write out the word doesn’t mean I’m always gonna bake you cookies.**

But Medea… cookies are good.

**You need to eat better!**

Silly Big Sis Medea, cookies are a way of life… why are you holding your chest?

**Forget it master… I need some air.**

Medea walked away leaving me to go over my day now. Huh… weird. Did I do something special. I’ll figure it out later.

Today was summoning day. Thanks to our excursion into a horrible barren landscape we managed to walk away heads held high and plenty of particles to do more summoning for our benefit of saving the world.

**Senpai it was a beautiful forested area where we could have a picnic.**

Truly a barren wasteland full of suffering.

**Senpai, should we really be over dramatizing such things?**

To be fair this is more a personal diary and if we just say we lounged around watching movies for a bit today I don’t think anyone would take us seriously. Especially the part where you fell asleep against my chest while we were watching those Disney princess movies.

**A-a-a-a-ah... I-I-I didn’t pass out or feel so comfortable hearing your heartbeat that I felt so safe…**

Mash you’re talking really quiet. I can’t hear you.

**Nothing! Nothing at all! We should talk about the summoning today.**

Right! Let’s go do that now!

**Senpai! Wait for me!**

We made our way to the chamber where we managed to get some leeway with summoning. Da Vinci had called Medusa and Asterios to keep an eye out for me. Along the way Leonidas joined as well ready to stand at our defense. It was reassuring how many of the servants were so cautious about what was happening. As far as I could tell due to the fact that a grail wasn’t at stake everyone was getting along… more or less.

Asterios still had problems with Lu Bu trying to assert his dominance over the Berserker pen. Stheno bullied Medusa a lot and I would generally have to tell her to stop. The only reason I’m not constantly charmed is because of this craft essence thing I found called Moony Jewel protects me from that. I think it made her more intrigued that I could resist her charms so… yeah.

Elizabeth and Kiyohime are sniping at each other one moment and then being happy go lucky friends the next. I think it might be insanity but I can’t be sure. There was evidence for both ideas. At times Kiyohime will go into bouts of delusion where she sees me as Anchin only to break out of it when I tap her arm. Then she hisses at me. Elizabeth, on the other hand, manages to stop deluding herself but then her migraines make her forget what revelation she had. I think that might have made their friendship stronger.

Regardless there were also the Cu’s… constantly ribbing on each other. It would be a miracle if I didn’t see them fighting. In their eyes it would probably be a horror story.

**Senpai? Why are you monologuing?**

The charm Da Vinci placed on this book lets it copy down my words whenever it is open. I have to have it closer if I want to catch sounds. Don’t worry. It was closed during our movie watching. No one will hear the tiny squeaks you made when the dwarves chased down the evil queen.

**That was so heartbreaking. I’m glad she got better with true love’s kiss. Um… senpai?**

Yeah?

**Nothing. Never mind. Let’s start our summoning.**

Huh? Oh right. Let me place the items.

As we awaited the summoning to commence I felt really anxious. An anxiety I didn’t know I had until I saw the glowing rings. We hadn’t gotten any new servants lately and the incident during the festival made me very aware how many servants we still didn’t have on our side.

The lights dimmed and there standing before me was a young girl wearing samurai styled armor… though she was really exposed. I didn’t know how that armor was covering her breasts like that. It must have been double sided tape or something like that.

She announced herself as Ushiwakamaru and said she would fulfill her duty as a samurai to its utmost.

**Indeed my lord. I shall split their heads from their bodies and present them to you.**

I don’t think we use heads as materials… would be cool though. Might smell a bit as well.

**We shall figure that out later my lord. Another seemed to have followed. I shall cut them down.**

Uh… that won’t be necessary. You’ll understand when the next servant appears.

A large burly man with a crazed look in his eye wearing what I could only assume was a back brace of sorts stepped out of the light.

He named himself Berserker Spartacus and asked me if I was a tyrant. That made me question a lot of things. I couldn’t formulate a response though not because I was terrified. I was just… thinking up a good response. The word no was the only thing to leave my mouth.

**Good. A child has no business being a tyrant. Such is the time when rebellion grows within their hearts burning for that which is denied them.**

Okay.

I quietly introduced them to the others in the room and quickly made sure to get Spartacus to not attack anyone at the moment. I would explain later why that was a bad idea. Already there was tension between Leonidas and Spartacus, but at my behest and heavy pleading not to fight in this room he sat down. I also quickly mentioned that it would be a rebellion against my home and I was so small to stop him but I would rebel against his viewpoint.

He smiled gently saying that I was a good rebellion starter and sat down. Spartacus wouldn’t hurt the weak. I didn’t even try to use a command seal though that was because I had forgotten about them completely.

Mash assured me we were okay and I set up another summon. We had done quite a bit of training during the week to get everyone stronger which gave me more resources to get more people on our side.

A light flashed and another person stepped forth. It was the rotund man from the festival. He questioned why he was summoned as a Saber even as he looked at the blade at his hip. 

I found out his name was Gaius Julius Caesar. He preferred the kai sar pronunciation. I merely nodded. I wouldn’t forget but if I was flustered I might use the alternate saying.

**That is fine little master. So long as I may rest my brow for but a moment I shall endeavor to let you run the office so to say.**

I hate paperwork.

**As do I. As do I.**

Another flash and suddenly a man in bronze armor with long flowing hair appeared before us. With genuine aplomb he called himself Georgios, a rider class servant and that we would do our best.

**What a curious book. It copies our words nigh impeccably.**

I wish it could take pictures.

**Pictures? I see. We shall fix that soon Master.**

I sighed in relief as another summoning was done. Once again there were more servants in the room and I asked if anyone would stand on the upper level so we have more room. I had one more summoning for today.

Caesar and Georgios agreed as did Medusa who seemed bored now that we had made certain no one else was horribly hostile.

I breathed a sigh of relief and Mash patted my back.

**Master! What sort of rebellion have you planned for us to have so many of us at your beck and call!**

I’ll tell you in a bit! Just got one more round to go!

I placed in the material and pressed the switch allowing another set of rings to start up in the summoning chamber. Within the shining lights another figure stood before us… a very tall dark figure wielding two hook like blades. He stood even taller than Spartacus. The only difference was that he remained even quieter than any other berserkers I’ve met. He didn’t scream or rage. I merely received a nod when I waved at him. 

He joined the others amongst the upper gallery. The staff on duty were clearly on edge due to the number of berserkers I had summoned in the past couple days. I mean I got it… and at the same time I didn’t. None of them did anything wrong and they were quite jovial. Maybe it was because I was the summoner. I’d rather be friends with everyone but of course being a mage has its drawbacks.

As I was contemplating the nature of being a magus and how unhappy everyone in the Clock Tower was alongside the murder attempt of Pride Sayward. Another samurai in a purple styled kimono stepped out of the light. He announced himself as Sasaki Kojirou, an assassin class servant.

**Yes. Glad to be in your service master.**

Oh thank you. Let’s go ahead and get ready now.

I took everyone to the conference room explaining that we were working to stop the complete incineration of all human history. They took it… well.

**Um… Senpai, they all shouted in shock, especially when they found out that you were the master. I’m pretty sure Spartacus was weeping because you were forced to rebel against even the concept of death at such a young age.**

Mash… I was embellishing to assure myself I’m not in over my head.

**Senpai, I wholeheartedly believe in you!**

Yeah… gonna take a bit to let that sink in…

**Ritsuka-kun I have something to inform you about.**

What Da Vinci?

**We’ve finally pinpointed the singularity. As soon as we can pinpoint it we will be sending you into it.**

Game time then… great.


	15. Medea of Colchis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now this is interesting...
> 
> What is it Bazett?
> 
> If we break this curse the next one is an eye bleeding curse.
> 
> So that's what's going to happen next?
> 
> No. It only activates if I get rid of the shouting curse. Also some of these entries are, well, unreadable even by translators.
> 
> What the hell!?
> 
> Probably a servant who did this for this Master. Why don't you ask him to let you read it?
> 
> ... We lost him and can't find him. He's alive but we have no idea where.

**So this is that fabled book… such a simple thing. I’ve created far more interesting things in my lifetime… but this is yours so I shan’t do more than add my own protections. Any prying eyes that are not associated with Chaldea shall not be able to read this in any capacity.**

**I’ve wondered upon wondered why you came to me for magic training. I can’t make you any stronger. Your magic circuits were plucked out of another living being entirely just to allow you the ability to cast. I can’t blame you either since you are but a child.**

**If I were to guess they raised a homunculus just to implant their circuits into you… and even if I write it down here none would ever know. You look towards the future undaunted by the gravity of the situation. Even then all of us can tell. Leonidas especially whenever your legs shake from the training he gives you. He takes it easy on you.**

**Even so…**

**Even so I learned everything I knew directly from the goddess Hecate. My spells are so far above the plane of existence that you know that I can only teach you so much.**

**You are no mage…**

**And all the better for it when I recall the last mage who summoned me.**

**Cruelty was their name and the moment I offered a better solution they spat on my name. Even then I was only saved because the next who saw me saved me…**

**What was his name? Souchirou, yes... Souchirou.**

**Without him I would have vanished before accomplishing anything. Even then… perhaps I grew too attached. Even then I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.**

**Though I could see his faults and I knew he wasn’t all he could be. Nothing could blind me to what he did. Though that didn’t matter. He remained loyal to me… even to the bitter end.**

**You are not him but at the same time I see that small bit of loyalty in your eyes. Perhaps someday Master, you shall cultivate it to some level of worth.**

* * *

 

**You speak a lot… using your words rather than force.**

**At the time I thought you would do well enough. Someone not to get in my way.**

**Instead you come to me like a child would to their mother. Even when confronting me you do so mildly leaving me room to make my own choices rather than forcing me into your own.**

**Child… why are you here? You don’t have the heart of a magus like all the others do. When I asked the doctor directly I learned more for my own benefit.**

**Taken from family… forced through experimentation… allowed nothing but your own wits to survive.**

**How will you do as you continue onwards.**

* * *

 

**You have studied well. Even with our sparse lessons you never fail to smile whenever I come to your side.**

**Do you not know who I am? Are you truly that clueless?**

**The Witch of Betrayals… That is my title and cross to bear. Yet,...**

**There you are smiling at me. Trusting me.**

**Foolish. So very foolish.**

**Even so, you always seem to appreciate whenever I come to your side.**

* * *

 

**I once had a brother… even now I can see that same foolish smile on your face…**

**The moment you called me Big sis… just made it hurt all the more. I wish I could make you not say that. Even then something pricks my heart whenever I hear it.**

~~**I couldn’t bear to stand by you the day prior the moment you called me that. All that came before rushed back to mind and I couldn’t allow the emotions to show.** ~~

**Alas… forget I wrote of this to you… then again. You wouldn’t read this back and the words remain transcribed forever more.**

**… I shall make this book stronger so generations may look upon it.**

**If nothing else… it would make all magi of the newer generations jealous that no matter how far they come, nothing they do could ever compare to one iota of magic of my own.**

* * *

 

**My, my… who would have thought it. Look at you turning a traitorous witch such as me around.**

**I couldn’t betray you… even with my title I couldn’t find it in me to do so.**

**So I shall pledge myself to you to use me as you would wish to.**

**Imagine my surprise when you said you wished for more hugs. Any little reassurances you weren’t a complete failure from the doubts that plague your mind.**

**A weight that large and even then I see what most mean.**

**The staff leaves the decisions to you because you are the only one capable.**

**The servants indulge you but never to your detriment. In fact you appease them more indulging us in our wild dealings.**

**Your first servant, the girl with the shield dotes on you, even though it’s clear that you pamper her more so.**

**You who is forced to grow and grow fast.**

**I shall have to make you better. To survive this path clearly too large for a child to survive… but in the process, I shudder.**

**Would you forgive me for forcing you to leave that childhood behind?**

**To have you survive would mean allowing the ugliness of the world to taint your smile…**

**And I would never ask you to forgive me ever should that ever come to pass.**

**I shall always be by your side little Master of Chaldea.**

**My newest little brother.**


	16. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah... so that's where it went.
> 
> Zelretch...sama, what brings you here?
> 
> To reclaim my book is all. 
> 
> What- arghagrbhgha!
> 
> Oh... looks like you couldn't handle a small bit of immolation. My condolences... now Ritsuka Fujimaru, let's see where you went.

Where do I even begin… seriously. I don’t even know.

**Senpai, is everything okay?**

I have no idea. Mash what happened to Georgios? How about Mozart? Elizabeth? Kiyohime? Gilles De Rais? All these servants have been missing since last night… or whatever constitutes as last night. We have to start our first mission and a fifth our forces are gone. I don’t even know why. 

I still feel their contract bound to me but at the same time it feels… I don’t know, severed at the same time. It’s like someone dragged them out of Chaldea or something. Georgios assured me he would see me today after he finished his little project with Da Vinci.

**What is it Senpai?**

This camera… small thing isn’t it? When I take pictures it immediately materializes onto the pages of my journal. I think Medea made it different alongside Da Vinci because it keeps shifting between different paper types. 

**That sounds amazing… why’s that bad though?**

Georgios was supposed to take the first couple of pictures with me.

**Oh… um… I’m sure Dr. Roman knows where they are. Let’s go ask him.**

Okay…

* * *

 

So as it turns out… someone was using the grail in this singularity and their constant summoning chain summoned several servants away making their link to Chaldea tenuous. It was as if the holy grail overwhelmed Chaldea’s system and with most of the generators still being repaired it made sense. Until those were repaired we would still lose servants to the whim of the grail. At the same time we had an advantage since the use of Chaldea and this strange spell woven with the texture of this world allowed me to chain servants to it.

That meant if any heroic spirit fell in battle they would be brought back to Chaldea and not the Throne of Heroes. Ironically, this state of being didn’t come into being until the moment my room was set. So in a state of delirium or my frustration that a fifth of our heroes were gone for the moment I called the spell My Room. It was very unoriginal but since it was now tied down due to my state as the last Master of Humanity I could name it whatever I wanted. 

Aside from that the first singularity was actually in the French countryside during the Hundred Years War. That was the depth of information I knew anything about it in the first place. We also needed to speak French as well which I stored in the back of my mind for later. It didn’t help that I was kind of annoyed that this happened under our noses.

Maybe it was childish of me to feel that way but I was a child. Nobody takes my new friends away from me.

Dr. Roman sat me down before we started our rayshifting because of something important.

Even if we were friends in Chaldea, they could be enemies when we got there. I thought he was just kidding but that look he gave me made me take him seriously. I didn’t like it but he said I would have to go shonen protagonist on them apparently.

I don’t think I could punch them hard enough for that to happen. Mash said she could punch them for me but I felt that might water down the experience. One day after a lot of training with Leonidas I will be able to punch someone into friendship… or mutual understanding. One day at the very least maybe I could do that.

It didn’t help that we were stuck in a small confined spot of a coffin. I didn’t like the small spaces… it felt off. It was like something I went through but I don’t remember anything of the sort happening to me before.

I put it off for later though. My team was ready and that backup team was also ready. 

I had Mash, Cu(Lancer), Medea, Cursed Arm, Lu Bu and Ushiwakamaru for my first encounter response force. 

Asterios, Cu(Caster), Leonidas, Caesar, Medusa and Sasaki Kojirou were my back up team for the moment. It seems like subbing in other servants could be done whenever I had a free moment so for the most part I set up a balanced team in case I needed things done. I also had servants on stand by ready to shift in, in case another set of skills were needed.

When I opened my eyes I was in a large field surrounded by scattered trees… the problem came when I looked up into the sky. A large ring of light was burning in the sky distorting it to look as though it was swirling into the center. Every servant with me at the moment… Team one, at least… were also staring into the sky. 

I felt horrible heebie jeebies from it but I kept my fear down to a mere body shiver. I didn’t know why I felt so off about it. I just didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit. I decided to change into different gears before we took one step forward.

Who can speak french?

Lu Bu roared out but quickly crossed his arms and turned to spirit form. 

**Sorry Lord Magus but languages weren’t my specialties.**

**I’m just a stabbing machine. That’s all. My mentor Scathach would know better.**

**I’m sorry my Lord! You may take my head for this incompetence of mine.**

**Don’t look at me. I can make you some translation spells but I have to hear the language first. The summoning here didn’t exactly give me the means to know languages just like it usually does when the grail summons us.**

**Hoh… so that is the difference I felt then.**

**What do you mean Assassin?**

**Due to our summoning our skills are limited to what we knew in life and what it meant for us to live during those times Lancer.**

**Maybe I could do it Senpai. Dr Roman said I was always good at picking up the linguistics of an area.**

Good to know. So Mash don’t forget to speak french whenever we meet the first group here. Also we have a secondary mission of figuring out why some of the people we’ve summoned have been mysteriously pulled away from Chaldea. At the very least finding something more concrete rather than the grail pulled them.

**There might not be a better explanation than that little master.**

I know Medea but if I’d rather not have it be to chance that any of you are kidnapped at a moment’s notice. That seems really disconcerting.

**So we’re just using our real names?**

Yeah Cu. So long as we work together then yeah we use your real names. Think about it. What if I had you on a team with Elizabeth, and Leonidas? I call out Lancer then who answers? Lots of problems since this is more saving the world kind of thing instead of fighting for a grail. Though if it’s like Fuyuki then it probably means a small grail is being used here but they’re only good as mana batteries. 

**So what did you do with the one we got in Fuyuki Senpai?**

I had Da Vinci use it to make certain we had power so we could clear out the rubble created from that explosion. A lot of the systems were knocked down because of it. On the bright side, when we get home maybe we’ll have a clean place to walk through. 

There were muttering of agreement that it was a sound plan but I was more worried about what was going on in this singularity. The sight of smoke across the horizon made it all too clear to me that we didn’t have time to waste. Everyone but Mash turned to spirit form as we made our way across the plains to the closest signs of civilization as we could see.

Dr. Roman had called as well and with a few well placed photos we took of the sky he began analyzing the ring in the sky. He seemed to pale a bit but didn’t say anything else about it. We would need more information. 

I want to get a hat while we’re here. Maybe I could find a nice looking hat while we’re here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... no duplicate servants in singularities. Instead they are a blend of servant minds from Chaldea and where they are summoned but if they weren't summoned until after the singularity occurred then they wouldn't know about Chaldea. You get what I mean right. So at most they'll have fog like memories of Chaldea but they won't be the Chaldean equivalent. 
> 
> We'll get more into it when we get to meet our first servant from Chaldea that was dragged to Orleans.


	17. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My name... is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. I suppose now this shall be a log of my experiment with my magic. Though I once was but a man, my look into the root led to me seeing beyond time and space into what could be, what had been, and what may be. Due to my lackadaisical nature of flitting through time and viewing the worlds I've come to the conclusion that... I'm bored.
> 
> So I've taken it upon myself to scan the timelines to alleviate the boredom. And long ago I found that. Ritsuka Fujimaru... my project. A journal of untold journeys, harrowing adventures, and deathdefying stunts. Even as a child I knew he would be destined to bring himself to the peaks of greatness like his mother before him. Though it took some negotiations for his mother to give him and his sister up. When that was done I placed the children under the care of the same family in two different timelines. My apprentice was devastated but with her sacrifice they would live happy lives instead of being immolated by the end of all humanity. When it happens... no timeline would be safe. Not even the Quantum Time Lock that keeps our reality going along its path would allow it.

So… Mash…

**I’m so sorry Senpai. I panicked and it just happened so quickly.**

No. No it’s fine. I kind of expected it really. I did ask you so suddenly and it just got out of hand. 

**On the bright side I got to kick some ass.**

Cu… that’s not a bright side. We’re just lucky they listened to us after we did do said kicking.

**Lord Magus, perhaps we should finish setting up the leyline here so Chaldea can send supplies.**

I know Cursed Hassan but I like keeping my records up to date. That way in the small almost minuscule chance I could die, I’ll leave behind a kick butt story.

**You won’t die little master. I wouldn’t allow it.**

Thank you Medea. I’m just a little shocked. We faced how many wyverns. I mean I knew dragons were a thing I just thought wyverns were something entirely different than a dragon.

**Ah that’s a common misconception little master. They are more akin to the children of dragon kin. For the most part none of them can ever grow beyond their threshold but like anything in this world there are exceptions to the rule.**

Well with how the French soldiers were claiming that the dragon witch Jeanne D’Arc was burning down Orleans in revenge I need to re-evaluate my idea of possibilities. I’ve been doing that a lot.

So… where do you stand on this Jeanne?

**I don’t know rightly myself. I was summoned here and it has been only two days since my execution. We must confront that other me sooner rather than later otherwise all of France will burn.**

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!

No Lu Bu we can’t just send you out to kill everything. First we need a direction and then we can send you out to kill things.

**Senpai, are you sure that’s wise?**

Do you want to tell the betrayal master what he can’t do explicitly?

**Ah, roger Senpai.**

⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!

Nothing. Just discussing about how things went. Also who killed the most wyverns?

**I did Lord Magus.**

**Only because he got lucky strikes with his daggers.**

**Jealousy is unbecoming of the Child of Light, Lancer.**

**Quiet witch!**

Hm… I pictured this going better in my head. Though it probably helped that I acted the clueless child when the French soldiers started calling out about a witch. 

**Was that really necessary? I mean we were leaving before anyone tried to ask unnecessary questions.**

Jeanne, there is one thing you must know right here and now. It’s so important that I shudder to think what could happen if you didn’t know. Whole cosmos would shake if I didn’t tell you about me in any capacity.

**What!?**

I am completely making this up as I go. Very little is planned until I actually know what’s going on. Also I’m ten so… yeah. Not gonna be much genius strategy here until we get more information.

**I… I see.**

So do we have a direction to go in yet?

**Most likely in the direction of Orleans but for now information should come from the surrounding cities and forts. La Charite should be the ideal place.**

It is night time right now… should we go now? The faster the better right?

_ As a physician I don’t recommend that. You need sleep Ritsuka kun. You’ve been up all day and you accidentally kicked that wyvern in the face. _

That wasn’t my fault! I panicked when I was on Lu Bu’s shoulder. Plus it was about to bite him so I reinforced my leg and stopped it.

_ Be that as it may you need to sleep. _

But I’m not tired…  _ yawn… _

**Senpai sleep for now. I’ll wake you in the morning.**

Okay…

* * *

 

**Is little master asleep Shielder?**

**Yes Medea. Why?**

**As much as it pains me we must discuss what we shall do tomorrow. All of us, while strong in our own right, are still weak from the summoning.**

**As much as I hate to agree with her… master has been working hard to get us up to snuff with his material gathering. I mean he went several hours just to get the materials to empower us further. My lance was getting thirsty until then.**

**I have scoured out several of the routes around us and that fort is the only thing standing out here. Lord Magus is a child still and should be sleeping in a bed.**

**Where are Rider and Berserker?**

**Ah forgive me. I was making sure my lord was fine. As for Berserker, he was skulking around the camp making sure nothing sneaks up on us. The werewolves in this region seem to be restless and I’ve made a game of collecting their heads.**

**Um… Ushiwakamaru… we can’t use their heads.**

**Oh dear Shielder I assure you we can. Before our mission is over I shall collect enough dragon scales to make my lord a hat.**

**Perhaps I should handle that Rider. My magic would make it… sanitary at least.**

**As long as you remember that I am the one to give it to him then I shall accept your generosity.**

**You all seem so different… how can heroic spirits be so cordial to one another?**

**Because… Senpai asked us to be.**

**Master has earned it. Kicking a wyvern in the face just cemented it to me.**

**Lord Magus will always have my loyalty. That is the creed of this lowly member of the Hashashin.**

**As long as I can fight for my lord it is fine.**

**He’s bringing me to battles I could only dream of. Of course I’ll throw my lot into it for him.**

**And for him?**

**Senpai isn’t sure either. As far as we can tell it’s most likely he’s using senpai to filter his rage against anyone and everyone if possible. We’re not entirely sure.**

**And what of your master? What does he gain from doing this?**

**I don’t know. Senpai never really mentioned anything about what he wanted to do. When we heard about this problems going on here he said we should go help the people.**

**That… that seems like too big a burden for a child to do. I should know. I was but a child when I helped the war effort.**

**He is the only master left. There is no one else to handle the burden and should something happen to him… then I shudder to think what will befall humanity. I won’t let it happen… no one here would ever let it happen.**

**Surely his parents…**

**He has no one left. When he was shipped to Chaldea, Senpai told me that he was isolated from his parents and any relatives he had. The only one he could mention was his grandfather.**

**Who was that? Shouldn’t they say something or do something instead Mash?**

**That’s the thing. Senpai said that his name was Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.**

**Who is that?**

_ Maybe I can explain. I never thought that name would ever be brought up… _

**What is it Doctor?**

_ Zelretch is an old magus that has lived over two thousand years… at least as far as we know. He managed to find a way to view the root and suddenly reigned over the Second Magic. He’s most famous for killing one of the most dangerous beings ever, a true vampire, though in the process was bitten and turned into what is now known as a Dead Apostle. Though he had no family to speak of Zelretch is famous for taking in apprentices. _

**Doctor… you’re not filling me with confidence.**

_ Sorry, it’s just that every single apprentice came back mentally scarred and unable to function well ever again. The Mage Associations around the world send apprentices to him by the bundle just to keep him busy. If he takes an interest in you then your life it doomed. For now… wait, is Ritsuka’s book still open? _

**Oh dear… um, don’t worry. Senpai doesn’t read through it.**

_ Be that as it may close the book. It’s bad enough we’re talking about him behind his back already. _

**Yes Doctor.**


	18. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Screams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So how did I know exactly, you may ask? It should be obvious. My own magic allowed me to see beyond the kaleidoscope. And it told me explicitly what would happen soon enough.
> 
> These two children would be forced to endure several years of pain and suffering but only after they had grown somewhat. At the end of 2018 the world would come to an end. So with some specific criteria forced into work I found the one timeline where their mother had a cousin that still remained close to the family and were also mages. The sheer amount of specific circumstances required to make this work was astonishing. The boy and girl were sent to the same family in different but similar timelines in order to reach what I knew as Chaldea.
> 
> I took them to 2007 and gave them to the cousin and her husband Jun and Sayori Fujimaru in both timelines. A bit of hypnosis magic and they wouldn't know the difference.

That… that was really scary.

**Mash: It’s okay Senpai. We managed to get away.**

Lu Bu is really hurt though. I managed to use a command seal to get his Noble Phantasm off to get away. Still she didn’t look happy that we got away so quickly.

**Mash: Lu Bu is fine Senpai. We sent him to Chaldea to heal.**

**Spartacus: Yes Master, our Rebellion has just started and we shall stomp out the fires of oppression before the Oppressors can plant their blossoming evil.**

I know… it’s just. I am worried about what happened. Jeanne has been looking sick since we met her.

**Cu: That’s what happens when you meet your Altered form. At least I’m civil with my Caster form.**

**Mash: I’m certain this might be a bit different though. It didn’t help with all the servants around. At least we found Mozart once more.**

He doesn’t remember me though. At least I don’t think he did. He had a headache when I appeared in front of him but he didn’t recognize me at all. We did summon him in Chaldea didn’t we?

_ Yes Ritsuka-kun. His contract is held within our records and Da Vinci has been making sure to keep the Spirit Origins we have here in Chaldea up to date the moment we summon someone. Mozart is recorded but it seems that when he was pulled away he was resummoned without the memories he may have made while in Chaldea. Of course that’s only the working theory right now. _

I don’t really get what you mean… but it’s like he’s his twin brother right?

_ Ah I saw that kind of show before. Where it turns out that the brothers were working together trying to fool that one yandere girl. _

**Mash: Doctor don’t corrupt Senpai like that!**

I remember that movie… it was terrible.

**Medea: Who would let a child watch a movie like that!**

Dad… I miss Dad.

**Ushiwakamaru: My Lord! Look what I’ve found, Goblin heads!**

Oh so cool! Mash hold my book!

**Mash: Yes Senpai…**

**Medea: Damn it…**

_ We got lucky there. Try to keep him distracted okay… I’ll keep things monitored for now. _

**Jeanne: What’s the matter? Marie stopped talking and we just noticed that he looked so sad.**

**Medea: I accidentally brought up his parents in a roundabout way…**

**Marie: Has he not reconciled that they are gone right now?**

**Cursed Arm Hassan: Lord Magus doesn’t mention them. He has kept quiet on that topic and I have not tried to ask about anything.**

**Mash: Aren’t you hurt Cursed Arm Sensei?**

**Cursed Arm Hassan: I am fine. But for the moment I shall return to Chaldea to heal my wounds. Sasaki shall take my position for the moment.**

**Cu: Hey! You running away? We still have to figure out who is better at hunting wyverns!**

**Cursed Arm Hassan: Do not worry Child of Light. I shall return and like always my blades shall always hit their mark unlike your lance.**

**Cu: Why you!**

**Jeanne: Enough! Leave it for later. We need to figure out what we can do because I don’t think that they would leave it to just that. Vlad III and Carmilla…**

**Marie: Don’t forget about Chevalier D’Eon. All of them under the thralls of Madness Enhancement.**

**Mozart: I’m certain those two bloodsuckers don’t need that to function well. The crescendo of their voices just made it all the worse.**

**Medea: Master is returning.**

Did we figure out what we need to do next? I’m all for going to the next city but we don’t really have anymore information on our side. We know that whoever that person is the people of France see you Jeanne. 

**Jeanne: Yes… unfortunately.**

We also have to contend with vampires and I’m pretty sure we don’t have any silver stakes or cloves of garlic on us.

**Mash: Why would we need those?**

Vampires, Mash. They have weaknesses which are ingrained into human history. Especially movies and everybody told me that human perception paints its logic upon every servant’s Spirit Origin. So stakes would paralyze them, then we cut them open and put garlic into the wound before cutting off the head. It’s textbook Vampire Slaying 101. When we get back we will be reading books about how to stop monsters because that will be important.

**Marie: Ah… young love…**

**Jeanne: It must be nice.**

**Mash: Please don’t say foolish things.**

Did you three say something?

**Mash: Nothing at all Senpai. Please ignore them for the moment.**

Wouldn’t that be rude? Though we should figure out who else that other one has on their side. We met three but she’s certain to have a Rider, a Caster, and a Berserker. Though wasn’t Vlad a berserker?

**Jeanne: That is true… and even though my Ruler powers are weak, the powers that be label him as Lancer at the moment.**

**Ushiwakamaru: My Lord, he did seem to be most affected by the Madness Enhancement. It may have changed his Spirit Origin against his will. There is a chance that the moment he was summoned he was forcefully changed due to that Ruler’s influence. We must exercise caution because there is a chance she would try to do so to any of the others, myself included. Such is the dangers of fighting against a Ruler.**

That sounds bad… We really need a ranged fighter. Every class but Archer filled huh?

**Mash: Yes Senpai. It seems to be the case.**

Well we can count on Medea for firepower at least.

**Medea: Your faith is astounding but we should prepare for better artillery strikes than my magic. Eventually we’ll need to prepare for more mundane problems.**

That is true. Though maybe we should shore up our defenses right now. I don’t think they would leave us alone for so long. 

**Jeanne: Okay Master. We shall prepare for whatever should come our way.**

** That’s weird… everyone’s name is next to what they said… Weird? **


	19. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Saints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As time progressed I made sure to ingratiate myself with the family. The father of my disciple in another timeline was always wary but knew that if I decided to... I would kill him. From there I handled events in different ways in order to make things go the way I needed. Unfortunately, that also meant making sure Lev Lainur didn't accomplish his suicide. 
> 
> After that certainty was saved I made certain the genial attitudes between three families in Fuyuki flourished the way I wanted and the two children got the full benefits of their parent's attention even though it was a different timeline where they didn't exist. Through that I decided to test my magic on the two. Glorious results were gleaned... though there was an odd side effect.
> 
> Time to time the two would see visions of their other lives. What could be and what had been flashed in their dreams... that also meant the nightmares had chances to creep in as well. No one ever said Temporal magic was easy after all.

**Give up now! I have you at my mercy!**

There’s a lady in the sky riding a giant turtle dragon! Mash be careful, Gamera has arisen from his sleep!

**Mash: Senpai, I don’t think that that is Gamera…**

Of course it’s Gamera Mash. A giant flying turtle spinning in the air. I mean yeah he doesn’t have rocket boosters coming out the holes from where his limbs retract but I’m certain that is Gamera!

_ Then we have nothing to worry about Ritsuka kun, Gamera is the protector of earth and makes sure to protect the innocence of children. _

**Mash: Doctor, please take this seriously…**

**Jeanne: Master I’m afraid that that isn’t Gamera. It’s actually known as Tarasque.**

Oh…

**Mash: Senpai please don’t curl up. I’m certain that someday we’ll see Gamera for real.**

**Uh… Sorry. I’m merely a saint who must fight you. That is what my master wants.**

It’s okay… I guess.

**Don’t pout… urgh, you’re making me feel bad about ruining a child’s dream.**

**Sasaki: Thank you for the distraction Master! Tsubame Gaeshi!**

**Aiyee!**

Everybody! Subdue her so we can try out Jeanne’s plan!

**Spartacus: To rebel against the chains of the mind I shall snatch the jaws of victory away from the oppressors!**

And now he has the Tarasque in battle… Medea, please make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.

**Medea: Fine… I’ll watch the fool then.**

**Jeanne: I’ll work fast now!**

* * *

 

It didn’t work…

**Jeanne: Forgive me Master… I knew it was a long shot but I didn’t expect her to be so stubborn. My powers as a Ruler are so limited right now. I can’t break her control over the servants but I’m certain that is more due to the grail than actually being her power alone.**

**Marie: I was certain that would work… we were lucky she was so distracted by a child like master.**

I don’t think that would work against Vlad or Carmilla. Who was she again?

**Mash: She was Saint Martha. A saint who tamed the unstoppable Tarasque who threatened a city along the coast. She used scripture to tame the unstoppable beast.**

Are you sure she didn’t beat him into submission. I was certain I saw her punching Spartacus back when she got her second wind.

**Spartacus: Worry not Master, The fires of rebellion shall always burn brightly.**

She caved in your face! Twice in fact!

**Spartacus: And like all oppressors she fell to the superiority of our rebellions.**

I had to use a command seal just to give you your Noble Phantasm otherwise she would have killed you! I mean one of them returned already but still that was too close for comfort.

**Medea: I think what the fool means is that he trusted you to pull us through**

**Spartacus: The witch speaks well. Tiny Master! Our rebellion is a glorious campaign swath with blood and tears. Nothing shall stop our charge.**

**Sasaki: I am a bit disappointed. I didn’t get to battle the Tarasque as long as I would have enjoyed.**

**Medea: And of course this fool just made the fight longer for fun.**

**Sasaki: Come now Medea, after so long we finally meet once again.**

Illicit Affair?

**Medea: Quiet you! It’s nothing of the sort!**

I know Medea is too cool to do something like that.

**Sasaki: Ho… Look at the princess blush at the words of her princely little brother.**

Huh… Hopefully she doesn’t kill him. We still need to talk strategy. Is anybody, from Chaldea mind you, tired and want to switch out with anyone?

**Cu: I’ll tap out for a bit to let another take my place. Just remember to bring me back for the real battle.**

**Spartacus: I shall remain. The rebellion has not reached what it should be.**

**Ushiwakamaru: I shall remain as well, my lord. I have not done enough but hunt the fodder surrounding our camp. It would be shameful to stop now.**

**Medea: I’ll return as well. I need to keep fortifying the space I have acquired. A research room will go a long way to keeping us in better shape.**

Okay. So we’ll swap Cu and Medea for Medusa and Leonidas? Yes that should do for now. 

So the real important thing to do now is that we should head out now.

**Ushiwakamaru: Indeed. This talk about a Dragon Slayer seems to be the best lead we received. Even through her Madness Enhancement she managed to give us what she could. Also the entirety of her forces are uncoordinated and sloppy. We can pick them off one by one easily enough.**

Provided we find them. I’m sure they’ll come to us but that still means we have to keep moving. Also I don’t want to see Fafnir again until we can deal with him better.

**Leonidas: Truthfully I require some more context. Are you saying this is indeed similar to a Holy Grail War then? Against a Ruler Class servant no less. Truly, a battle worth fighting.**

**Medusa: Hmph… Seems so trivial. But if we need to move I would suggest that we head out west soon. The smell of blood seems to come from that direction.**

I think someone needs a hug.

**Medusa: Wait… what? Master! No stop! This is so embarrassing!**

See now she feels better. Okay! Let’s go find a Dragon Slayer. Maybe Gamera as well.

**Mash: Senpai… I don’t think we’ll find Gamera today.**

You have to dream Mash! Dreams are how we move forward. 

**Mash: I understand Senpai. I shall have more dreams hopefully.**

**Marie: So adorable. A new couple is born.**

**Mash: Marie! Please keep your comments down.**

Did you two say something? 

**Marie: Nothing at all little master. Don’t worry about a thing. Just make sure your kouhai is okay.**

Of course. Mash is the best.

**Mash: Mmmm…**

Why are you red Mash?

**Mash: No reason! It’s just a bit warm is all!**

It is a bit warm today isn’t it. We’ll find shade sooner or later. Let’s go.


	20. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Sickening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every night the boy and girl would have horrible nightmares. Moments of their lives where they were cut short or torn away by circumstance or chance. It seems my use of magic on the two allowed them to connect to their other selves across the kaleidoscope. Even now as I prepared them for Chaldea, their nightmares of the Mage's Association experimenting on them filled them with dread. It got to the point where I had to magically force triggers in their mind that would wake them before the nightmares got too intense. The two, in their respective new timelines, would share those dreams only with their dear grandfather.
> 
> Ritsuka, and Ritsuko. Unoriginal names but useful pseudonyms to hide their true identity should their parents ever be summoned as servants. I didn't need that kind of problem destroying several plans all at once. So the two continued their life. Though that's where the benefits started. The two managed to absorb the skills of their other selves slowly growing more competent as time goes on.

_ Heurgk… bleurgh... _ I’m good… I’m good…

**Mash: Senpai… I know its bad but please don’t look at them.**

**Ushiwakamaru: My lord we shall get through this. I know this is extreme but we dealt with the werewolf and goblin heads easily enough.**

This is way worse though… I’m pretty sure I just saw a child’s head. A flayed child’s head in fact. Then there’s that abomination over there. I think it was a woman but I can’t tell because all the skin is missing!

**Jeanne: It’s okay master. I shall shield you from this horror.**

**Marie: Uh… Jeanne. Mon ami, you are suffocating him in your bosom.**

**Mozart: Tis no better way to go at the very least.,**

**Marie: Non, ferme la bouche. None of that.**

**Mozart: Ah, the fire of your stare makes it all the better.**

What happened? I remember complaining and then everything went dark and soft.

**Medusa: Master, enemies are around us. Please give us your orders.**

Ah right. Let’s get ready to rumble.

**Jeanne: Thank you… for distracting master from that.**

**Medusa: Please do not make it a habit. Master is still an adolescent boy. We do not need him distracted in that way. That is what Shielder is for.**

**Mash: Please don’t give Senpai ideas. We need to focus on the zombies.**

Everyone! Let’s get fighting!

* * *

 

Did everybody make sure to double tap their zombie? I expect everyone took out the brain. If it was a voodoo style zombie we’d have to burn the corpses if I remember right. I’m not sure. No one ever used voodoo styled zombies before in any media I’ve watched.

**Leonidas: Is there such ways as to deal with zombies in modern society?**

Yes. As far as I’ve seen. It’s mostly crazy people thinking the worst to happen but jokes on the normal people. I am facing zombies… though it seems like these are magic created zombies. I don’t know if they are magically created or they are one bite and suddenly infected person becomes a zombie as they slowly die.

**Leonidas: Hm… I shall have to read this supposed guide to zombies. I doubt it has everything in it about them.**

You know you’d think so but it did deal with what kind of weapons to use, climates that favor fighting against them, how to protect ones home, and many other tips if I remember right.

**Leonidas: Master… how do you know so much about this topic. I doubt parents would allow their child to read such tales.**

My parents… were weird. I love them to death but sometimes it felt like we were strangers to each other. There was always this weird glint in their eyes where I couldn’t really see them liking me… and at the same time it was hidden by them liking me. Grandpa was the one who said I should read the book. He took me to foreign bookstores and used his magic to help me read other languages.

**Mash: Senpai, enemy servant detected incoming.**

**Christine! Oh my Christine! You have returned to me! Please shower me in your praise and your voice drags those worthless sacks of pus to heaven. Please dance beneath the viscera and gore that stands as my love to you!**

I think he’s talking to you Jeanne…

**Mash: Senpai… you don’t need to stage whisper.**

Mash we are going to educate you when we get back to Chaldea. We might have to pull some all nighters but I’m gonna make sure you appreciate a good cultural update. I stage whisper not because its the best course of action but to make sure to appropriately dramatize the moment that we are in. It’s a necessity for life to have fun even in the most gruesome of circumstances. It’s all part of being human.

**Mash: I see. Yes Senpai I shall learn earnestly when we return.**

**Christine! Oh how you ignore me Christine but don’t worry I shall tear your throat out because I love you!**

I wasn’t ignoring you though. I was correcting the stage before the show.

**My Christine you grace me with such professionalism I shall only partially slash at your throat. Your voice shall be preserved for all eternity in the embrace of death.**

Oh I was just making it ready for the main star right now.

**Spartacus: Oppressors shall be squashed beneath the might of my rebellion!**

Mash! Support Spartacus!

**Mash: Supporting Senpai! Mash Kyrielight on route!**

* * *

 

**Oh Christine…**

Is it over?

**Mash: Spirit Origin disappeared Senpai. Enemy servant has been dealt with.**

Good… good. I’m just gonna sit down for a moment yeah?

**Ushiwakamaru: I shall join you my lord.**

**Mash: Yes Senpai. We shall search the city for any survivors.**

Okay… don’t take too long.

**Ushiwakamaru: Is everything alright my lord?**

I still feel sick. Grandpa made me learn anatomy books when I was nine but I don’t think I was ready for that.

**Ushiwakamaru: But you dealt so admirably with the werewolf heads a few days ago. You and I even did the time honored tradition of poking the heads with a stick. Is that not one of those things, children enjoy doing?**

I saw it in a movie once when I was seven. I just kind of emulated what they were doing because that seemed like the kind of thing a kid would do. It was different this time… I don’t know why.

**Ushiwakamaru: Oh my lord it is so simple to see why this affects you so. They were human… and we played with what is a monster. I can see it in your eyes. The innocence of youth… though now it is slightly clouded. Worry not my lord. You may handle this today and you shall not lose who you are.**

Thanks… I guess I feel a bit better. Though something is bothering me.

**Ushiwakamaru: What is it my lord? If I am able to answer your question then I shall.**

How does this stay on you so well. I mean look at all this skin. It’s making me curious.

**Ushiwakamaru: Oh my… my lord is truly a man at this point. Well I do not mind answering at the moment. It is just the two of us. You see-**

**Mash: Senpai! We’ve returned. Unfortunately there were no signs of survivors here.**

Oh… that’s too bad. I guess we need to keep moving.

_ Wait! I’m detecting a servant somewhere in that place. It’s faint but it’s there but we have another problem. Four more servants have mobilized and are en route to that city. It’s even worse than that. A load of magical energy is carrying them! _

It’s just one thing after another. Everyone quickly gather up and head to the point where the servant is!

**Mash: Please don’t teach Senpai those things…**

**Ushiwakamaru: Is it really such a big deal? He is handling such horrible things right now far and past what an adult should be dealing with. He will grow up regardless of what happens now.**

**Mash: That may be but that doesn’t have to happen today. When we are done saving the world he will be better equipped to handle such things.**

**Ushiwakamaru: I don’t understand why we need to wait but if it is for my lord then it shall be done. Though if he asks me again I shall still answer in kind. There is no need to coddle him.**

Hey! Let’s go already!

**Ushiwakamaru: Coming my lord!**

**Mash: Note to self - don’t allow Ushiwakamaru to be alone with Senpai.**


	21. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Teams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I suppose that is my fault though...
> 
> Their nightmares would worsen but the experiences would make them smarter, stronger, and wiser. Ritsuka showed promise physically and mentally. Ritsuko was more dexterous and magical. Yet they weren't limited to that. Ritsuka would always become a stalwart protector of his school years beating up bullies to the point of being seen as the big brother of all the kids. Ritsuko would unite all the kids in projects and become beloved by all. One led by example while the other led by connecting to others. It was then that they were sent to Chaldea, something I made explicitly clear to happen. 
> 
> Ritsuka required magical circuits while Ritsuko required physical training. It was the slight flaw either had. Ritsuko was easier to deal with since that just required physical training. A homunculus I crafted was used to give him that edge. I need to send this book to my next... guinea pig. No need to be subtle now... after all I know you're reading this.

Are you okay?

**Yes… thanks for finding me. We need to escape before things get bad.**

**Leonidas: Hail friend, lean upon me and I shall get you out of here.**

**Ushiwakamaru: My lord something is flying over head!**

Mash! Get your Noble Phantasm ready!

**Mash: Yes Senpai! Readying Virtual Noble Phantasm, Lord Chaldeas!**

**Jeanne: I shall assist! Luminosité Eternelle!**

**Marie: The heat is intense…**

**I shall not stand by. I’ll do what I must.**

**Leonidas: Who am I to stop you? Give it your all.**

**The evil dragon shall fall, and the world will reach its sunset. I will bring you down -- Balmung!**

**Fafnir! Rise before it can reach!**

Let’s run now while we got a chance. Medusa can you knock their wyverns out of the sky if possible?

**Medusa: I shall try.**

Running time! Anybody not striking down wyverns focus on keeping the defense up. We don’t need something happening between now and then. Let’s rush!

* * *

 

Oh come on! What now?

**Mash: Senpai we have wyverns incoming, zombies ahead, and the French army is about to clash.**

Damn it all… Spartacus please go stop as many zombies as you possibly can, Medusa assist him.

**Spartacus: My muscles shall ignite the noble flames of justice! I shall not fall now.**

**Medusa: Yes Master… I take it to save as many soldiers as possible?**

Yes please. Ushiwakamaru and Sasaki, Please take care of the wyverns following us. 

**Ushiwakamaru: At your command my lord.**

**Sasaki: Shall we make this a contest? First to a hundred is owed a jug of sake?**

**Ushiwakamaru: Ha! As if you could surpass my blade. I shall accept!**

And there they go. Okay Mash, Leonidas, Mozart, Marie, and Jeanne… we’re taking on the servants incoming.

_ Two signatures on the way. A third is attempting to assist the zombies killing the army. I would suggest dealing with them as quickly as possible and stopping that third. _

Okay… as soon as we stop them.

**Ah, once again my queen… I have come to take your head.**

**Ar….UR!!!**

* * *

 

**Jeanne: Master I have to go help out Spartacus and Medusa, The servant is overwhelming them.**

Go. We got this.

**Mash: Do we got this senpai?**

I have no idea… Let’s just keep going.

**Ushiwakamaru: Dan-no-Ura Eight-Boat-Leap!**

**URRRRRRR!**

Good… my plan worked.

**Mozart: Master truly is pulling things out of his-**

**Marie: Non, ferme la bouche ou je vais te frappe. Il est un enfant.**

I totally didn’t make it up as I go because I don’t know which servants she has on her side.

**Mash: Senpai… we can hear you.**

I know. That’s comedic timing Mash. It’s meant to be ridiculous to emphasize the lighthearted aplomb we carry. Honestly I’m using it to cope with the sound of roasting people right now.

**Mash: I have much more to learn it seems.**

Like I said, I’ll be teaching you a lot once we get back to Chaldea. For now let’s stop Lancelot.

**Mash: Yes Senpai!**

**Jeanne: I have returned! Carmilla has escaped, as did Charles-Henri Sanson.**

Looks like they left him behind it seems.

**Mash: We should stop him regardless of what chivalry dictates.**

I don’t think we’re very chivalrous when lives are on the line Mash, but you’re right. Stop him from breaking through!

* * *

 

**My… king… I… please…**

That was kind of sad…

**Mozart: Don’t worry about it. He lived his life as he did. That’s just how things go.**

**Jeanne! Is that really you?**

**Marie: Aren’t you going to answer him?**

**Jeanne: It would jeopardize his position. We should quickly make it to the next town while we have this lull in combat.**

We need to find another saint right? How should we go about that? I mean splitting up is fine but I’m not sure exactly how good a plan that is.

**Mash: We have some heavy wounds on Spartacus and Ushiwakamaru as well.**

**Ushiwakamaru: My lord, I can still fight.**

**Spartacus: My rebellion won’t be snuffed out so easily! But I do find it tough to charge now.**

I know… you’re missing your right leg.

**Spartacus: Huh, imagine that?**

Okay… I’m sending you two back to Chaldea to heal. I’d rather nothing else bad happen for the moment. So… 

**Ushiwakamaru: My lord! I don’t require rest I can keep fighting!**

I know you can but I need you for the final battle and we are nowhere near that time. Relax so I don’t worry so much okay.

**Ushiwakamaru: At your command then.**

**Mash: Um, Senpai. Why are you patting her head?**

It will calm her down. See? Docile as a puppy now. Okay swapping in Asterios for Spartacus and Caesar for Ushiwakamaru.

**Caesar: Unfortunate, it seems I’ve been called to serve. Is there a reason?**

You were on rotation so it’s your turn now. No special treatment until I make sure we build up a good rapport with everyone. 

**Caesar: Fair enough, though I am mediocre as a Saber I shall work to climb over that plateau.**

How about you Asterios?

**Asterios: Fighting on plain, right?**

Yes. More than likely open fields until we reach the next town over.

**Asterios: Pretty…**

Hm? I suppose so. We are looking away from the battleground right now.

_ I am detecting faint servant signals. One coming from the west and another from the east. I am uncertain which one is which but I’ll leave troop assignment to you Ritsuka-kun. _

Right…

**Marie: Shall we draw lots?**

* * *

 

 

So Mozart, Mash, Asterios, Caesar, and Siegfried with me. Jeanne, Marie, Sasaki, Medusa and Leonidas go after the single servant.

**Understood Master!**

You are all very loud… 


	22. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Annoyance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey... what's this?
> 
> This is a rare artifact from the Grand Marshall. A book he found during his travels.
> 
> Hoh... Sounds important. So nii-san what does it do?
> 
> I don't know yet Reines. I was just getting ready to look over it now. Afterwards I'll be looking over some of the other magi and teaching them. Please don't open the book until I've examined it with a fine tooth comb. There is too much to go over right now. 
> 
> The Grand Marshall is going to be annoyed if you don't do it sooner rather than later.

Well… this is pretty bad isn’t it?

**Mash: What do you mean Senpai?**

We didn’t find a saint… we found two of the servants I contracted with. But they don’t remember me… at least not well enough.

**Elizabeth: Hey puppy! We need to keep moving don’t we?**

**Kiyohime: Yes Anchin-sama, come and let us go at once.**

We need to find a Saint though.

**Kiyohime: Ah about that. I did hear of one servant traveling west instead of east. Perhaps that is the one you needed?**

**Caesar: Had we gone together we could have ignored the problems that seem to rise up when we least expected, wouldn’t you say master?**

I’d rather keep my thoughts to myself right now... 

**Caesar: Quite. Even I can tell about a woman scorned.**

**Mash: You two seem close. Is something up Senpai?**

Caesar gave me some tips about being a ruler. It is very sound advice… but I’m not much for ruling over others right now. I’d rather we get out of this without losing anyone.

**Asterios: Loud. Kill them?**

No we can’t Asterios. We need allies and more servants helping us makes it easier when we rush down to the town of Orleans. I’ve been thinking that we need to meet up with the others. I can’t run as fast though. Siegfried is still injured and I don’t want to make Mash, Kiyohime, or Elizabeth carry any of us, even though I know they are more than capable of doing so. 

**Asterios: I carry him? I can do it.**

You sure? I’m not sure if he would be receptive. Siegfried would you be willing? If we can find the Saint then whomever they are and Jeanne could heal your wound.

**Siegfried: That would be fine. Sorry…**

Please don’t apologize. We gotta do what we gotta do. 

**Mash: I’ll lead the way Senpai.**

**Caesar: Master, hop upon my shoulders. You shall see what my prowess brings.**

* * *

 

**Jeanne: Master! Over here! I found him!**

**Georgios: I see, so you are the master we have been waiting for. The others are fighting off Assassin, Saber, Lancer, and Archer at the moment. I do not think they will last.**

Heal him. Heal him, heal him heal him heal him.

**Mash: Senpai are you okay?**

Sorry, slight panic. Let’s go help the other servants while they heal him.

**Asterios: Yes. Kill! RAugh!**

**Caesar: Always in good spirits it would seem. I shall join the fray as well and deal with Lancer.**

**Elizabeth: Assassin is mine. That fake won’t know what hit her.**

**Kiyohime: I shall assist. Wait for me Anchin-sama!**

Right… Mash let’s go help with Saber then.

* * *

 

Where’s Marie?

**Mozart: … It seems that the fake took her out. Sanson is also gone.**

**Mash: Senpai?**

Let’s go take care of things here then.

**I see… my queen is gone. I am sorry but I must stop you at the moment,**

**Leonidas: I shall not let you pass. I will stop you here and now.**

**Mash: Allow me to assist. Mozart, if you please.**

**Mozart: Worry not. The accompaniment shall echo out and drown the orchestra as well.**

* * *

 

**Regrettably I must pass as well… forgive me my queen.**

That was kind of sad… for later though. Dealing with Assassin now. Leonidas can you go help against Lancer?

**Leonidas: It shall be done. Onwards!**

**Elizabeth: Argh! I’ll never become you!**

**You are a fool. It’s already been etched in stone.**

**Elizabeth: Be that as it may, I’ll still scream it to the heavens for as many times as I can! Puppy, let us end this nightmare!**

Fine… let’s deal with the issues then.

**Mash: I don’t think we’re trained for that.**

Don’t worry. We’re using anime protagonist logic and using our fists this time.

* * *

 

**Still living in delusions…**

Okay that’s Assassin. Now who’s next?

**Mash: Senpai! Get behind my shield!**

**Elizabeth: Yipes! Eek!**

**Kiyohime: This is not happening!**

Arrows? Where?

**Please! Just please! Stay away! Get out of here!**

She doesn’t look too good. I think she looks sick at the sight of me. I don’t look that bad do I?

**Mash: No Senpai. You are very handsome.**

You sure? I’m a little on the short side though.

**Mash: Don’t worry about it Senpai. You are still growing taller. It’ll just take some time.**

Sorry but we got to go through! Mash lead the way!

**Mash: Uh… Senpai?**

Hm? Oh… oh… did, did she just stab her arrow through her neck?

**Mash: Don’t look Senpai. We’ll go take care of Lancer now.**

* * *

 

**Hah… so it seems like the others have fallen now. Do not worry. I shall sink these fangs of mine into battle and tear victory from your corpse.**

I think he’s mad.

**Caesar: Indeed. We have been bombarding him from all sides so far.**

**Medusa: He is tough. His abilities make him regenerate a bit too quickly.**

**Asterios: Ax will cut. Cut! Cut! Raugh!**

Oh that’s now good. Emergency Evade!

**Kazikli Bey!**

**Mash: Lord Chaldeas!**

**Asterios: Okay! Kill!**

**Heh ha ha ha! Wonderful, to have such promising enemies. I shall endeavor to impale your bodies upon my stakes!**

* * *

 

**In the end I am nothing but a legend…**

Tired… can’t stop. But tired. Let’s make a march on the capital. 

**Sasaki: I have dealt with the straggling wyverns. The rest of the French army has started marching upon Orleans as well. I suggest we deal with the problem before things get out of hand.**

_ Mash, give Ritsuka the energy bar. He needs to keep going. _

**Mash: Senpai, please eat this. We need to make it to the structure in the distance and stop the grail that’s been corrupting the singularity.**

Yes(nom) Mash(nom). Onwards then.

**Leonidas: So much can happen in a single day it seems. I’ve only fought defensive battles before and this is far different than I thought it would be.**

**Sasaki: Indeed. Though I think the hero, Siegfried is having trouble with that dragon. We should assist now.**

**Siegfried: Ah Master, I have him almost beat but I could use another weapon to assist.**

Georgios, Jeanne. Get in there. Mash get ready just in case.

**Georgios: Of course. Slaying dragons with a fellow dragon slayer makes this all the more exciting.**

**Jeanne: Yes Master. I shall make sure to assist them.**

Mash, when the fire breath comes make sure to activate your Noble Phantasm. 

**Mash: Yes Senpai. I am prepared.**

* * *

 

**Siegfried: Balmung!**

Loud… Fafnir has been defeated. All that’s left is a march on the Dragon Witch’s fortress. Is everyone ready?

**Yes Master!**

Again, you are all in sync… Maybe I should check for injuries before we go. As we go, yes?

**Sasaki: Master, don’t take the princess’ tics.**


	23. Hundred Year War of the Evil Dragon : Orleans - Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoh... Is the Great El-Melloi the 2nd feeling a bit overwhelmed?
> 
> Grand Marshall... what the fuck is this!? What in the hell is this!?
> 
> Nothing special... merely a future that shall eclipse them all. Did you get to your part already then?
> 
> How? I don't... 
> 
> Doesn't matter. You know what to do, don't you? I shall be taking this... I need to prepare even more.
> 
> Nii-san... the mages have our new student. His name is Rituska Fujimaru. A rank amateur but the Grand Marshall is pushing for him right now.
> 
> Bring him in... I shall make a hero out of him if it kills me.
> 
> Nii-san?

You know… This has been a weird Summer Vacation.

**Mash: Senpai, I don’t think this counts as a vacation.**

It kinda does. We went to a foreign country, took in the sights, immersed ourselves in the culture and roamed the land looking for adventure.

**Cu: True. It does seem that way when you look at it like that. Also thanks Master for bringing me back in.**

Leonidas needed to heal. Medusa, Asterios, and Sasaki as well. We had to deal with four Madness Enhanced Servants and an Evil Dragon.

**Cu: Doesn’t really explain our loadout though. You brought a lot of Berserkers this time. And this guy…**

**Blackbeard: Oi, Oi, Oi… Allow a pirate some slack there Mistah Cu. Master said I had to contribute so here I be.**

Plus he might get lucky and find me a fancy souvenir while we’re here. That’s always nice to keep memories, isn’t it?

**Caligula: ENEMIES! CRUSH!**

**Darius: ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!**

Yup. There are a lot of them. Caesar also wanted a break since he did quite a bit dealing with Berserk Lancer. I didn’t expect so many stakes made out of blood.

**Mata Hari: I do wonder why you brought me along. I just thought you wanted some eye candy but that seems unlikely with how young master is.**

You are very pretty but I wanted you along just in case there are anymore male enemies. You distract and then the others smash them into paste. I know how guys think most of the time so I think this should work out. If it doesn’t then Mash, my ever reliable kouhai will bring the shield down.

**Mata Hari: Incorrigible. Master is too much of a flirt it’s almost unnatural.**

**Mash: I don’t think he’s doing that on purpose.**

Did you two say something?

**Mash/Mata Hari: Nothing Master~!**

Right… Anyways Cu please be our Vanguard as soon as Caligula and Darius are done with their fun. I have this feeling that we’ll need them in a bit.

**Cu: Right Master. Though it looks like they are almost done.**

_ *thwump*  _ Wyvern heads… Hm. Ushi might be a bit jealous.

* * *

 

**Mozart: I see that is what became of him. Nothing more than a shadow of his former self.**

**Elizabeth: Puppy, we will assist Caster here against the blinded pig.**

**Kiyohime: Yes Anchin-sama. It is best for my dear husband to deal with the true villain of this triviality.**

But we haven’t been married yet… I don’t have rings on my fingers…

**Jeanne: Master please don’t try to reason with her like that. I do not think she understands.**

**Kiyohime: Anchin-sama, wear this.**

I’m not allowed to. Mom said I wasn’t to wear any jewelry until I was at least sixteen.

**Cu: That seems weird…**

Mom used jewels for her magic so she didn’t want me to waste them for such ornamentation. I didn’t really get it but I followed through on that through my life. It was a short life though.

**Elizabeth: Fight now you horrid lizard woman. Puppy has bigger fish to skewer.**

**Kiyohime: Do not presume to know what is important to my Anchin-sama. Nothing is more important than love. L. O. V. E!**

Please take care of things here.

**Kiyohime: Yes Anchin-sama!**

**Elizabeth: Guh! How horrible.**

Let’s… let’s just go now.

**Mash: Note to self - Senpai doesn’t like clinginess most likely. Will continue to monitor this situation.**

**Mata Hari: Ahh~ Young love…**

**Mash: No! It’s just… just research.**

**Mata Hari: Perhaps I should take him for myself then?**

**Mash: No!**

Hey you two! We’re moving up while they deal with Sanson’s shadow servant. 

* * *

 

**Jeanne: I have but one question for you.**

**What is it,** **_me_ ** **?**

**Jeanne: Do you remember our siblings? Our parents?**

She’s not saying anything…

**Mash: I know Senpai but we shouldn’t remark on that.**

**What does that even matter! I am Jeanne D’Arc. The woman scorned by her people and they deserve nothing but to burn!**

**Jeanne: Non! Now I know what I have to do. This darkness must be put to rest.**

Caligula, Cu, Darius… support Jeanne. Mata and Mash prepare for your Noble Phantasm. Release on my say so. Blackbeard… you know what I want you to do in the meantime.

**Understood Master!**

**Hmph! A child will do nothing but send you down to hell!**

* * *

 

**Impossible… this is a sick joke… Gilles!**

**Rest now… I shall handle this when you awake.**

**Yes… If you’re here… then…**

So as it was… she was the grail cause Jeanne D’Arc isn’t so dark.

**Jeanne: Master… that is a little too on the nose… isn’t it?**

Maybe… but it needed to be said. Proper one liners before climactic showdowns are a necessity of grand battles that permeate the bounds of time.

**Jeanne: Really?**

**Cu: No but it does add some levity to serious moments. Though I do wonder why you are explaining this master?**

**Because the child is a fool who knows he can’t stop me when I hold the grail. Jeanne D’Arc! I know you may have loved this country but I would not tolerate what they did! This whole damned country can flounder in the fires of hell for taking you away from us!**

**Jeanne: Gilles… I know you did this to avenge me but you know I would never do this. I would never be your Dragon Witch.**

**Then you are my ENEMY! I will never - Gwafah!**

**Blackbeard: And that is why I’m the scourge of the Carribean.**

**W-what… where is the Grail…**

Yoink. I got the shiny cup now.

**Mash: What just happened…?**

**Cu: Master made Blackbeard useful… truly this is the end of times…**

**Blackbeard: Oi. I resent that Mistah Cu and Miss Mash. This was all planned out before hand since Master was getting kinda tired. You didn’t notice that he hasn’t been movin his left hand lately.**

**Jeanne: Rest now Gilles. I appreciate what you’ve done before you became this.**

**_*cough*_ ** **Jeanne… only I should go to hell…**

**Mash: Master! Are you alright!?**

Hm… oh yes. Left hand is just numb… just a bit. I’m kinda tired but it should be fine, right?

**Cu: Knew two Berserkers would be too much right now… You fool. Trying to be cool.**

Heh… Aren’t most heroes fools who decided they were going to live their lives their own way?

**Cu: Heh. Of course we are but you still have time. Take it easier until you’ve got better ways to do so.**

**Caligula: MASTER! Sorry… strained…**

Don’t you two worry about it. I knew we would need the muscle to handle a Ruler class servant. I was looking over the flashcards Grandpa gave me. He said I would need them for important moments like this.

**Mata Hari: Hm… You’re grandfather sounds smart.**

Oh no Grandpa was horrible at making concrete plans because he kept seeing things through the Kaleidoscope. This card just said  _ Make the pirate do a backstab at least once _ so Blackbeard was the optimal choice.

**Blackbeard: Aw shucks… I am the hero of my own tail. First the money… then the bitches! Heh heh heh…**

Oh you watched Scarface?

**Blackbeard: Isn’t that a rated R movie?**

Your point? 

**Blackbeard: The innocence is painful to look at… Cu, I leave this to you.**

**Gilles: Jeanne! You are alive!**

**Jeanne: No Gilles… not really. This is all but an ephemeral dream. Though I know that one day we shall be united under one banner once again.**

**Gilles: Jeanne! We… France betrayed you and for that I can only beg for forgiveness!**

**Jeanne: There was never any need. I loved this country and the people in it and nothing shall ever change that.**

And like that I must go. My people need me.

**Blackbeard: And that was a Simpsons reference with that dog on the show about the cat and mouse.**

You binge watched a lot of television shows while things were getting repaired didn’t you?

**Mata Hari: At least it was productive… I think.**

**Mash: Is it?**

_ I enjoy that you all are getting along but I’ll be bringing you back now. Ready for transfer? _

Yup. I have the fancy golden paper weight. Ready to go.

**Cu: You would piss off so many mages if they heard you say that… I love it!**

Really? But it is just a fancy gold cup. I don’t think you could use it to drink from otherwise you would make some dumb wish and ruin your life forever… or was Grandpa talking about something else entirely…

**Mash: For now… let’s just go home.**

* * *

 

_ Welcome back everyone. I’m glad to see you all back. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Lev. Also Ritsuka chan I need to check your hand real quick if that’s fine. _

Okay… here.

_ Your circuits are working but since you used so much magic to help power your servants it started eating away at your life force. Hm… We almost have the other mana generators online so this will never be a problem again. I won’t allow it. _

I’m so tired but I got to do one more thing Doc. Do you have what I asked you for already? And did they come back?

_ I have it. Here you are… but Ritsuka, these are scary movies. Are you certain about this? _

Mash needs to have a life. This is the first step.

_ I see. Then good luck… though you are a bit young for something so bold… _

What do you mean? We’re friends going to watch movies. Roman is weird ha ha ha!

_ Right… as for your second question. They have returned but most of them went to their rooms to rest. The sudden influx of memories from that singularity caught them off guard. _

Okay. Off I go then.

_ Ritsuka… you’re far too innocent. _

* * *

 

**Mash: Senpai! Are you okay!?**

Yup. I’m all good. Were you waiting for me?

**Mash: Senpai why didn’t you say anything?**

Because it wasn’t a big deal. If I couldn’t move my entire hand then we would have had problems. I’m good now and I have to bear that burden since I’m a Master. 

**Mash: Senpai… You will tell me whenever something wrong is going on. Okay!**

Okay. Now what…?

**Mash: It’s time to rest Senpai. We solved once crisis and only need to wait for the next to be found.**

I see. Then time to do this.

**Mash: Senpai? What? What? What are you doing?**

Picking you up and carrying you on my shoulder to my room. Why?

**Mash: Your room? Huh?**

Yup. My room. I told you Mash that I would be training you right when we got back. You’ll be in my room the entire night no if, ands, or buts.

**Mash: But… but… but…?**

I said no buts! This is a command of your Master… but I’m not using a command seal though. 

**Mash: My heart isn’t ready!**

I shall make sure it is!

**Mash: Hieeeeek!**


	24. Mash II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hm... Seems my grandson has scrambled this page up...
> 
> Well it's none of my business. He is getting to be that age. Far be it from me to invade his privacy.
> 
> Regardless... the Mentor has been put in place and now I just need to get the other pieces into place. Now to get that Edelfelt girl into motion. She had those weird feelings for the boy as well and I might as well use that to my advantage. I will make sure to place the best I can get on their path forward. Both Ritsuka and Ritsuko.

**I’m so embarrassed…**

**I didn’t think what Senpai would do but those romance novels made me overthink about it. The handsome man carrying the naive woman over her shoulder into a bedroom. Then he laid me on his bed and I nearly passed out.**

**Then he showed me the movies and I instantly calmed down. So embarrassing. Senpai didn’t notice though… at least I think he didn’t notice. He looked at me with slightly more interest than usual before he clarified what he wanted to do.**

**It didn’t help that Senpai had me rest against him again. It was like we were together… but not together. I don’t know what I’m even writing. I’m only glad that Senpai is sleeping right now. Though he made me question a lot of things.**

**I don’t understand how someone so young keeps acting so mature… more so for his age than he should be. The fact we watched a lot of George A. Romero’s movies on the Living Dead just made that question harder to answer.**

**We watched the first three movies Night, Dawn and Day. Each were quite graphic even through their older pedigree. I didn’t get scared…**

**I got scared even though we faced zombies already but I didn’t know why. The zombies weren’t real on the screen and merely a special effect. Yet I curled up against Senpai to stay safe.**

**I don’t know how to explain it but I think Senpai might have planned it that way. He even said he would watch out for me always…**

**Maybe he is just saying that as a kid looking out for others but I don’t really know for sure how confident I am about that answer. Senpai acts innocent but I think he knows what he is talking about and he had made it clear to the Caster version of Cu that I was off limits except to Senpai.**

**Senpai fell asleep after we finished Day of the Living Dead… and he almost dragged me into his bed. I didn’t want to sleep atop him again otherwise who knows what could have happened. Kiyohime has made it a habit to sneak around at the early hours of what could be the morning just for the chance to sneak into Senpai’s bed.**

**I shudder to think what would happen to Senpai if she caught me in here with him. At the same time… I wouldn’t allow her to harm Senpai… ever.**

**I crushed one of my pens… I didn’t think I would get that angry over this.**

**I’m just really confused… I don’t really get what I’m feeling.**

**I’m just writing without reason now.**

**Maybe… maybe I should confront Senpai about how he feels… but he’s younger than me… but he had more experience in life than me… I don’t know… I don’t know...**

* * *

 

Mash? Mash? Wake up… you fell asleep at the desk. You good?

**Huh!? Wha-!? Senpai?**

I think that’s me but you really should call me Ritsuka sometime. We aren’t in Japan right now and first name basis is a more personable thing to do while we save humanity.

**Yes Sen-... Ritsuka. That feels weird.**

If you can’t do it, then it’s fine. I’m going to call you Mash since you are my Mash, right?

**Yours?**

You’re blushing again. Maybe sleeping at a desk is too much for you. Come here… We’ll lay on my bed until you’re feeling better.

**I-I-I’m fine… we should start the day…**

Okay. I’m gonna brush my teeth and get ready in the bathroom. Maybe you should go get ready too.

**Y-yes… yes… I’ll go get ready.**

**Senpai is in the bathroom now… and I don’t have the courage to ask him how he feels about me… Come on Mash Kyrielight… you can do it… Just ask…**

Mash! Are you still there? I forgot my clothes in my room so I’m hoping you’re not there cause I’m just gonna come out in a towel!

**Hieeeek!!!!**

Huh? Not there… weird. Oh there’s my journal. Oh well. 

~~ Hm… Mash was getting weird there. Is she falling in love with me? I wouldn’t mind but I’m a little young… Well we live in Antarctica, so I don’t think the rest of the other countries laws apply to us, I think,  so maybe…  ~~

~~ Hm… I am thinking I am okay with this… Yeah I’m good now. Mom and Dad would freak out if I did something like that.  ~~

~~ Better scramble this entry up before someone like Kiyohime sees it. She would murderize me and probably Mash as well.  ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Ritsuka is aware. He's always aware. Due to his Grandfather's experiment with the Kaleidoscope on him and his sister in a different timeline they are very much aware when someone has feelings for either of them. As for how they react to that... well that'll be later on in story.
> 
> I don't like leads who don't realize when someone likes them. It's... annoying and the tension feels artificial since you know if they just say something everything in story would never happen. I will not use that as a crutch.
> 
> Also in canon, it's very apparent that the FGO MC wants Mash as their significant other.


	25. Chaldea Summoning III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh ho ho ho, this is quite the treat. To think Lord Zelretch would entrust me with such a powerful artifact to look over. Finally one over that blasted Rin.
> 
> Make sure you read it thoroughly. You may only look over it for this day alone.
> 
> Of course Lord Zelretch. I shan’t let you down.
> 
> I look forward to your reaction then.
> 
> Geh... scary as always. At the very least I have been acknowledged. Now... what does this book have in store for me.

I confronted Mash this morning. Better I not leave this to some random chance or something else. So I told Mash that when I get older I was going to get her to be my girlfriend. She was flustered but merely smiled it off like I was a child.

I am a child but I am serious when it comes to certain matters. I had her look me in the eyes to tell her I was being serious. I think she accepted but her eyes were really sad… as if she couldn’t see the future like I did. She still accepted that when I get older she would agree. 

I decided to write this down instead of dictate it since it was so important and it’s easier scrambling written text over the magically created text. 

Also, I needed to figure out why Mash looked so sad… but hopeful. I didn’t like it but I doubted I could get any answers out of her. I toyed with the idea of using a command spell and quickly gutted that idea for being completely stupid. Maybe I’m thinking too much into this. 

I’ll leave it alone for now… until it’s become a more obvious problem.

* * *

 

**Mash:** **Senpai, are you ready to summon some more now.**

Yup. Got my quartz ready and some more tokens as well. Let’s pull some servants for our fight against the evil that is Top Hat Man.

**Mash: Senpai, I think you mean Lev Lainur.**

Yes. The evil Top Hat Man is a shrewd nemesis but we remain ever vigilant and ready for his brand of evil. Smiles and all.

_ Let him call that man whatever he wants Mash. Certain actions lose one’s respect for another. Even if I knew the man he was and not who he turned into. _

**Mash: Okay Doctor. Who shall be joining us for this round of summoning.**

Jing Ke wanted to joined, as did Caster Cu. I see them now… Hi!

**Jing Ke: Hello boya… are we starting now.**

**Cu (Caster): Obviously. Though I still find it weird that we’re summoning more servants. That shouldn’t be possible but everything that’s going on now is something that shouldn’t be possible. The world should have had a quantum lock placed so nothing like this could happen…**

_ It may surprise you but from what little I could tell it seems like we can’t see any future because of what happened. It’s like the world was completely destroyed throughout the entirety of time and space… at least from what I could tell. _

**Cu (Caster): That still seems unlikely.**

Time travel and space adventures sounds like fun. Do I get a rocket ship later? Will it have buttons and knobs with which I can play with?

_ I don’t think it’s a good idea. _

Look… a little levity and child like wonder is what you need right now. I’m doing something I don’t normally do… except in very specific circumstances that I won’t mention… so cheer up. We can figure out things as we go. We just need to find the Top Hat Man and beat him down. Then he will exposit his evil plan because he’s most likely a jerk who likes to hear themselves talk. Simple as that.

_ Your sheer optimism is relieving. You are right. We need to find him first though and that could take ages. It’s not like he’ll show up out of nowhere and try to make himself a bigger problem. _

**Mash: So which summoning will we be initiating now?**

The mana token ones. I’ll save the Saint Quartz for much later. Don’t want to end up hunched over in despair because nothing but Craft Essences appeared.

_ I don’t think that would happen… _

It will. I know it will. I can feel it in my soul that immediately when I get cocky about summoning someone with quartz then everything will fall into a mire of depression and desolation from which there is no escape from. Time would become Death, destroyer of worlds, and I would flop on the ground in an endless quagmire of sadness and despair.

_...I think you’re being overdramatic about this… but I won’t argue that that might happen if no one is summoned. _

Right. It’ll be like relying on idols for life advice since they don’t know how to live right in the first place.

_ … and now I feel attacked. _

Why?

_ Nevermind… let’s just summon. _

Placing the tokens in… now. Mash!

**Mash: Yes Senpai!?**

Pull the lever!

**Mash: Um… senpai… there’s no lever. It’s a button.**

Well… there goes that possible reference to a movie now. Can’t even make it funny without there being a trap door either. Oh well… I’ll push the button then. Boop!

**Jing Ke: Boop?**

**Hans: I am a third-rate servant, Andersen. Just throw me in the corner of a bookshelf… wait.. A child. Truly the world knows not what it does. If this were a story it would be written by a complete hack.**

Hey, you’re a kid like me. Neat.

**Hans: No Master… I am much older than you could comprehend. Allow me to wash you of your notions. I am the writer Hans Christian Andersen. Unfortunately for you, you have pulled a dud of a servant with little to no ability for combat.**

Okay.

**Hans: Okay!... Just like that then huh? Fine Master, this contract is official and my deadlines have moved another day closer.**

Well we can get rid of those deadlines after we finish our summoning round.

**Hans: Excuse me?**

Watch.

**Phantom: Whoever sees my face will learn the meaning of fear… including you.**

Hi again.

**Phantom: You! Christine you have called me! Oh joyous day, joyous day indeed!**

Sure. Let’s finish summonings then. We are gonna do a few.

**Hans: I see. A shitty serialized novel series which will be drawn out and milked for all its worth. Truly the editors are crying in their graves for there is no end in sight.**

We could have fun till then I guess.

**Hans: Oh ho Master, and what would you suggest? A rousing battle tournament? A sortie out into the cavalcade of time and space we call a singularity.**

Maybe later. I think for now maybe we could play a board game until we figure out who else will answer.

**Hans: Perhaps my wit and sarcasm are wasted here…**

**Caster Cu: I could have told you that in the first place shorty but that would ruin the look you make when your speech flies over his head. Literally or not doesn’t change the hilarity.**

Next! Pressing the button! Boop.

**Jing Ke: Boop? Why this boop again? I haven’t drank enough for this kind of whimsy I think.**

**Robin: Okay, okay! I will get to work since I was summoned.**

Well we can’t do that right now. It’s break time since we just finished off a dragon witch. Even had a pirate backstab a wizard who was inspired by a saint. And an evil saint that controlled dragons and vampires. That was nuts.

**Robin: I’ll take your word for it then master… still this is quite the surprise. A child for a master. And you… have we met before?**

**Hans: Not to my knowledge Emerald Hunter of Sherwood forest. Had enough in dealings with sheriffs and kings to make yourself known then?**

**Robin: Well… that was one possibility at the very least.**

**Romulus: … I am Rome!**

Hi Rome. We are here to save humanity which means Rome as well.

**Romulus: Rome shall allow this. For the glory of Rome must be held in Rome’s hands.**

Rome.

**Romulus: Rome, indeed.**

**Hans: Another blathering my mind will reel from… are there more to come master.**

Probably. I haven’t finished my button presses.

**Jing Ke: At the very least we have an Archer here. Master was worried since we had no specialized long range specialist in our midst.**

**Robin: Oh boy… there goes my vacation it would seem. I hope you aren’t expecting up close and personal fighting. It’s not exactly my forte.**

No… I think bows are supposed to be used at long range. 

**Robin: That is the case but weird things are always coming up whenever I least expect it.**

**Arash: I am Arash, Hero of the East. Nice to meet you!**

Wow. You’re the first one who actually answered with their name instead of confusing me to look at everyone’s status plate.

**Arash: I take it that hiding our true names are pointless at this moment, is that fair to say Master.**

Pretty much. We’re doing important things but I’ll be talking about it after we finish the summoning rounds.

**Shakespeare: I am Caster-class Shakespeare, and I have come to see you! So, shall we begin our story?**

I think we’re already a chapter in and the prologue has already started. But if you want, I can tell you some of the tale to start out better in another person’s words.

**Shakespeare: An adequate answer. I shall endeavor to enhance the tale to make it better when I have the chance.**

**Benkei: I am Musashibou Benkei, and I have been reincarnated as a spearman. Best regards.**

Hello there. I think that’s all the summons for today. We should get ready for explanations and getting you your own rooms. Oh, if you want to share we have to have you sign this form. Since we can’t have you throwing loud parties or whatever frat guys do whenever they are in college.

**Mash: Senpai… we’re not a university…**

Mash, if I know anything, and I like to think I know something, we are in the prime spot for magic to do some weird things. One day it’s all save humanity, and the next we end up in a school like recreation. It’ll be something or another and then who knows what could happen.

**Shakespeare: Ah, doth master have what they call an overactive imagination? What say you old boy?**

**Phantom: Christine is Christine. Anything more would tarnish the dreams that are held.**

See? It’s just that simple Mash.

**Mash: I see. Truly the world is grand.**

_ That probably wasn’t meant to be profound. _

Okay time for explanations. If everyone will follow me and I’ll explain things… at least as well as a ten year old can at this point in time.

* * *

 

Well that went easy. You’d think no one had ever handled a multiversal problem like this.   
  


**Mash: I don’t think even the Magic Association even has records of something like this happening Senpai.**

Weird… with all the dangerous things that could happen magically, we would probably have deterrents. Well for now we just have to train everyone up. So new teams and more relationships will pop out of this mess, huh?

**Mash: What do you mean Senpai?**

Any meeting starts a relationship, of course. I was told that by my uncle. Though I will always have some dubiousness of his words. He told me that to get girls to like me all you had to do was low bar jumping. Didn’t even have to succeed. Which I found weird. Like really weird… so weird that it didn’t make sense.

**Mash: I don’t get it either Senpai.**

Don’t worry about it. For now let’s introduce you to more movies. What genre now?

**Mash: Sci Fi if you please…**

Okay let’s watch 2001 and The Thing then.

**Mash: Are those horror movies as well?**

...maybe. If you don’t want to watch that we could watch Star Wars and then Spaceballs. Those are at least adventurous and comedic.

**Mash: They sound like American movies as well. Didn’t you live in Japan Senpai?**

Yup. Dad was kind of a pseudo yankee if that makes sense. He didn’t dress the part but he liked American culture since it allowed him to be more of an individual rather than another cog in the machine. At least that’s what he called it. I never understood what he meant. So he taught me some English and we would watch American movies he imported over. They were weird and I’m pretty sure I watched movies I probably shouldn’t have but that’s besides the point.

**Mash: Then please take care of me for this Senpai.**

Always. See, easy as that.


	26. Cu Chulainn, Child of Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why?
> 
> Why what? Why is this going to happen? Why is fate so cruel? Why this child and not someone older? I’ve answered that with my second question. Fate is cruel, fickle, and overall vindictive because it can not choose its own fate.
> 
> But... that’s not...
> 
> Do what you have to when they get here Luviagelita Edelfelt. But remember fate doesn’t have a sense of humor nor does it like to be kept waiting. If you have time to weep... you have time to make them ready.
> 
> That’s not fair.
> 
> Neither is life. I shall take that. There are more that need to be involved. More that need to safeguard our future.
> 
> Does she know? Have you told her Grand Marshall!
> 
> Watch you tone! But, no. She won’t know until long after it has passed. This world will be saved.

**It’s been a short while but I’m not going to let this chance go to waste… still writing. If I didn’t want you to overhear what I was saying then I would have used this strange book’s dictation magic. Writing was never my strong point though the grail at the very least makes it easier.**

**You have been a good master so far. Heck you’ve done more than almost every Master I’ve had so far giving me the chance to fight for a worthy cause. Against strong enemies and the last time I’ve had such a good time still left a sour taste in my mouth with how horrible this shit got. Since you don’t read old entries I’ll be as crass as possible.**

**The last Master I had was a hell of a woman… until that asshole ripped her arm off and took me. He didn’t even let me fight leaving me to be either fodder or an obstacle.**

**It was humiliating.**

**When we first met, the first thing I was going to ask you had been if we had met before. I quickly stopped that line of thought when I noticed my Caster version also on your side. No wonder you were so nonchalant about me. It was kind of hilarious that he was so sour that I had a spear while he didn’t. Though I could understand that frustration. It’s just the luck of the draw I suppose.**

* * *

 

**I suppose I should inform you of the scope of a Holy Grail War and what that entails but you made it clear that that’s not the case here. This one is gonna be huge. Grander than it's ever been seeing as we already found one Holy Grail. Of course, it’s just a mana battery at this point making all but useless.**

**You were right that it is only a golden paper weight.**

**But regardless, I'll tell you of what the war usually entails.**

**Seven servants summoned to fight for seven mages. Each looking for a wish. Doesn’t matter who you are, if you have a wish the grail can make it come true. At least that’s what everyone is told. Last was I was in showed nothing but a corrupted grail in its place. Doesn’t matter now. This war is far better.**

* * *

 

**You asked me once about Geis. It’s basically an unflappable law inscribed upon the soul of a warrior. An unbreakable oath would be the better term.**

**The more Geis inflicted upon you the more accomplished a warrior you are. I say that but truthfully, it is more of a harassment from the jealous, envious, or hated enemies you make.**

**I would suggest never making a deal with any of the Irish monarchs. They take one thing from you will make them want to take everything and I doubt Shieldy would appreciate what that particular woman would do.**

* * *

 

**I remember three… no, four women in my life I’ve let down. My mentor Scáthach I couldn’t kill leaving her behind even though that’s what she wanted me to do.**

**Derbforgaill, I nearly shot a rock through her. I had tasted her blood and couldn’t wed. I am sorry for my short sightedness.**

**Morrigan, I spurned the Goddess of Death and incurred her wrath.**

**Medb, I let you live instead of going by the code of the warrior.**

**I ended up failing them in some way. I hope, Master, that I will be more dependable this time.**

* * *

 

**I told you back then that I was the veteran around here but if you need me to do anything just ask right away so I can give my all.**

**What I’m trying to say is that I’m counting on you.**

**You managed to break a few wyvern teeth so at the very least I know I can trust you to crack a few skulls.**


	27. Hassan of the Cursed Arm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are the two teachers... now all that's left is the means to make his magic stronger... then I have to do the same for Ritsuko. Though hers is a bit easier since she got her mother's magical prowess. The problem comes in finding someone to get magical circuits into him. So... not them... but yes them.
> 
> Ah Master Zelretch... I heard you were here... at the Clock Tower.
> 
> Gordolf... Ah yes the son of the Musik family. Welcome, Welcome. Pleasure to see you here.
> 
> Uh...um... yes. Of course Grand Marshall. What can I help you with?
> 
> You should be more careful with your words Gordolf... people will take advantage of your kindness. But yes... you could help me with something.
> 
> *gulp*... Yes of course. 
> 
> My grandson shall be brought here soon... but his magic isn't up to snuff. I know you've seen some procedures with homunculi and I need that done soon. 
> 
> But he could die... Don't you think that is a little reckless.
> 
> Not at all... besides we'll all die if it fails.
> 
> Excuse me what was that you went quiet for a moment.

**Seems as though it is my turn to write something within your private tome but that is neither here nor there. It is but one aspect of the world that we live in and there is naught to do but work our way through it.**

**Though I can see why this tome is so special. Even at this moment it is steeped heavily in magic I dare not speak of. It could very well be a very mockery of the world as it is. Still I know you have not done so to make it. There is a certain power within that even I don’t want to see.**

**Regardless should the need arise you may call upon me to do the dirty work. The enemies you have shall never draw breathe once more.**

**That was the point of our entire organization. To uphold the beliefs of Allah through the face of adversity. We, all as one, were his blade ready to strike without hesitation. Though even I can not say whether we were as capable as we could be. The Great Founder made his viewpoints clear when I finally saw the end of my life.**

**I have even seen those that I once fought against long ago in a dream I once had. Though the me of then and the me of now have very little in common but this.**

**We shall serve dutifully and with honor. That is my pledge to you and nothing shall change that.**

* * *

 

**I once had you rest since fighting for the grail was an exhausting effort with little reward.**

**You answered that you could do a few more things before you rested.**

**I watched you work dutifully, silently from the shadows.**

**You took your time to rest after speaking with me. It was of the most trivial of things but you** **_wanted_ ** **to speak with me.**

**It is strange to be treated with so much reverence from a contractor so young.**

* * *

 

**You were surprised when I cleaned the workshop for you. Though why wouldn’t you be. I had organized and cleansed every inch of your workshop.**

**Though this is likely not the kind of workshop a mage would have. All these movies you have on display, I have alphabetized. All the gadgets you hid in your box, I dusted and placed in easy to reach places. All the wires that had littered the area were organized and bound by zip ties to look more appeasing. I hoped to not overstep my bounds with this action.**

**Though please, do not hug me. I am naught but an assassin. That should be saved for the more worthy.**

* * *

 

**My wish. My wish was to have my name echo throughout the ages… but I am but one of the many to bear the name of Hassan-I-sabbah. You are the one who could easily allow your name to ring throughout history.**

**But…**

**You looked uncomfortable. It was as if you didn’t want to be remembered. It was but for a moment but you easily hid it behind those warm smiles you give others.**

**When I asked you I was surprised by how candid you were.**

**You were frightened. Frightened of forgetting who you were if you ever were considered such a person.**

**In your mind, you were just a small kid from Harajuku. You went to school and beat up bullies sometimes. You weren’t extremely book smart but you were quick witted enough to make convincing answers. You worked hard to make yourself seem more confident in your statements and with the arrival of Mash you’ve let your confidence be your guide.**

**And do not think I don’t see your affection for her either.**

**You would be happy to spend a life merely with her. Spending time, watching films, and just in general living with her sometime in the future.**

**A quiet life at so young. You have found something you wanted and I can only smile at your good fortune.**

* * *

 

**I was once a man. Normal even. I truly desired to have my name echo throughout the ages. To be more than I was because of that deep seated fear of being forgotten. I sacrificed my name, my body, my soul to become one of those cloaked in darkness…**

**But… perhaps I should have thought things through. I accomplished nothing and my name was forgotten throughout history. Another of the shadows that roamed the darkness of history.**

**Though, now that I have laid my eyes upon you I think maybe I have been born just for this moment. Here to protect you from those that wish you harm.**

**I would not be so presumptuous to assume that but you assured me you were glad to have me by your side. One of the many… one here to make sure the world is saved.**

**You shall accomplish this. I can tell. These battles will take priority. I shall see to it that we handle anything that comes our way.**


	28. Workout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good work Gordolf. You've pleased me.
> 
> What is this all about anyways? All this for one child even if they are your grandchild... though it seems slightly dubious.
> 
> I have my reasons. Don't question me on it. I have a plan and it is coming together. Eventually even you will play your part... whether you want to or not. Don't you want to be remembered for all time?
> 
> Yes... that sounds wonderful... if dangerous.
> 
> Then don't question me. I have my parts in place and you are one fo the few I have chosen to take that first step into the future.

Ow… ow… ow…

**Leonidas: Good work Master. Eight miles running done. Good thing Da Vinci gave you that mystic code to assist in the endeavor.**

Ow… ow… ow…

**Leonidas: Hm… perhaps we should have done more than just leg day… still this is a boon to you in the long run. As far as we can guess you’ll be doing a lot of running and tomorrow we shall finally move to running in sand. Traction will be horrible but don’t worry. Tomorrow will be only to see how far you can go in an hour. Already two hours and eight miles is impressive for one so young and you never broke your pace.**

My life is a monument of pain!

**Leonidas: Indeed! And that pain shall make you stronger!**

**Romulus: Rome shall be strong.**

**Leonidas: Indeed he shall be strong soon.**

Everything I know is a lie!

**Mash: Um… perhaps this was pushing it for a ten year old?**

**Leonidas: Hm… the math holds out and he made sure to run right instead of pushing himself. This was nothing more than endurance training. He can last two hours at the very least on his feet is nothing if not extraordinary. Master shall be stronger.**

I hate my legs!

**Romulus: Rome requires rest it seems. I shall take Rome to his next lesson.**

**Leonidas: Of course. Go forth Master! You have passed today easily enough!**

I want something covered in copious amounts of sugar!

**Mash: Don’t worry Senpai. Medea’s lessons are next.**

* * *

 

**Medea: A small refresher. In terms that most modern magi know there are two forms of Magical energy known to all in this day and age. The first is Mana, the energy that comes from the planet permeating the atmosphere. Used by nature spirits it is a finite resource and limited due to the constant loss of mystery in the world. Some areas have denser concentrations of mana in their atmosphere but there are far and few in between.**

Okay… mana is everywhere but limited and nature spirits use it for their own purposes.

**Medea: Correct. Now the internal magic that magi produce is call Od. All living creatures have this form of energy and it can be drained and restored over time through your magical circuits taking energy from your soul. Every person has a different amount that they can produce. This allows you to form spells and continue them with the mana that is permeating the atmosphere.**

I have Od, which is from my soul and that’s how I cast spells.

**Medea: Yes that is how most magi do so in modern times because mana is less dense here. Once Od has been used it’s released as magical energy which is measured in units. At this point most mature mages have around twenty five to forty units of magical energy in the form of Od. You, at this moment, have around fifty Od… most likely due to shenanigans.**

Oof… shenanigans are pretty bad, aren't they?

**Medea: Yes… yes they are. Magical energy can be taken from magi through their blood… AND nothing else!**

Taken from blood… oh, so that’s why they took my blood. I wondered why they were so interested in my blood. I didn’t even mean to get my blood drawn but the guy running the clinic looked desperate… That sounds way worse now that I think about it.

**Medea: And had I been there he would have gotten an ice shard rammed straight up his… look it doesn’t matter.**

That’s weird… one of the teachers was saying that magic is in all human fluid… so it’s in my spit too…?

**Medea: Technically… I guess. But that’s it. It certainly isn’t in any other form and if you keep asking questions you’ll be grounded by the Doctor.**

I don’t wanna be grounded!

**Medea: Then forget this line of questioning and let’s move on. Anyways, magic is formed in stanzas and the more lines said the stronger your spell will be. Some spells are used through magic crests and be fired instantaneously.**

Spells have long incantations and crests are instant cast.

**Medea: Yes. There are also classifications of Mystic Eyes as well. Mystic eyes are special magical abilities focused through the eyes granting special abilities. In fact we have a special guest to discuss this.**

**Medusa: I suppose. My eyes are able to turn things to stone. They are technically Jewel class eyes known under the label of Cybele. As long as my eyes stare into another’s I can steal life force and slowly turn a target to stone.**

Mystic eyes, steal life and turn to stone.

**Medusa: But don’t worry Master. So long as I wear these glasses then you will be fine.**

Oh good. I still have to do this.

**Medea: What are you doing!?**

Staring into her eyes through her glasses so she knows I care.

**Medea: WHY!?**

Because I can? I don’t know what the question is here. I’m confused. Oops… Medusa passed out. Is she okay? She’s turning a deep shade of red.

**Medea: I’ll take care of her… just go have some lunch now Master. We’ll have more lessons later and I’ll teach you some chants so we can try to get you to do some spells not through your mystic codes.**

Okay. I’ll be off then.

**Medusa: Stared… longingly… lovingly… awahwahwah…**

**Medea: Get a hold of yourself!**

Forgot my book. Okay thanks for the lesson. I’ll be back again see ya soon.

* * *

 

Hm… this is good but didn’t we have this for three days in a row?

**Ushiwakamaru: I have told the person in charge of food my Lord but we need to use certain provisions first. Though I know that there was a small envoy who were going to head back into the Orleans Singularity to procure more food from whomever we could find.**

So more french cuisine then? Hm… what can we look forward to then?

**Mozart: Patissieres, creme brulee, Coq au Vin, Souffle, Flamiche, Nicoise Salad and many other things master. Though, of course, some of those things came far after my time. I could tell you we ate richly but the basis for sauces back in those times were disgusting. Merely something mixed with vinegar for flavoring.**

Is that was they make seasonings out of? I mean seriously… I’m actually curious whether that's the case or not?

**Hans: Perhaps Master, honestly you should take it in stride for now. I have my pint and certainly enjoy life as it is.**

**Ushiwakamaru: Weren’t you complaining when Master gave you one of the tablets to allow you to write because it made all your hard work back then seem like you were a slave to your editors?**

**Hans: Certainly, and now I must drink more to ease that sort of madness out of my soul lest it drain out onto the page and sully my work.**

Do servants get drunk? You’ve drank seven of those already.

**Mozart: We only get drunk if we allow it. Certainly it tastes fine but the effects only happen because we allow them to manifest. I doubt anyone in our certain situation would want to pass up the chance to enjoy the finer things in life here.**

A strange and wondrous world indeed. It can’t be that bad then right?

**Hans: Wait Master don’t drink tha- ! Ah…**

Bleugh… this tastes like something drained their sweat through several sweatsocks.

**Ushiwakamaru: My lord… are you okay?**

Why wouldn’t I be? Wait… I don’t think I was suppose to drink that… Ushi… why are there three of you…?

**Hans: Get him to his room… now. Before Mash notices otherwise the three of us are getting an ear full.**

**Mozart: I’m sure… no actually I don’t want to handle it. Quick, we shall keep her distracted.**

**Ushiwakamaru: Right away. My lord we should go play one of your movies. I know a few servants want to right now.**

* * *

 

**Kiyohime: What have you done to my beloved Anchin! He looks completely out of it!**

**Ushiwakamaru: He is slightly drunk… because we didn’t stop him from drinking one of Mr. Andersen’s pints. Please keep him safe until he is okay.**

It’s Kiyo-Kiyo… Hug…

**Kiyohime: Anchin! Yes… Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes…**

**Ushiwakamaru: I have made a horrible judgement… oh wait she’s unconscious.**

I think she died Ushi… My hugs are lethal weapons… come we go hug everyone… Everyone shall know my destructive might!

**Ushiwakamaru: Uh… right away my lord. Benkei!**

**Benkei: Yes Lord Yoshitune! What do you require of this humble one.**

**Ushiwakamaru: Dispose of the body… in her room I mean and intact. I’m certain it should be fine…**

*plop*

**Ushiwakamaru: Oh… seems my Lord has passed out… I shall transport him to his room for now. Uh… make sure no one comes in here. I do not want to explain what happened to Kiyohime.**

**Benkei: Right away. I shall stand guard against all foes who would enter.**

**Ushiwakamaru: Indeed or I would have to drag you behind Chaldea and slice your head from your body for disobeying me.**

**Benkei: Ha! Always the kidder Lord Yoshitune.**

**Ushiwakamaru: Indeed. I shall take my Lord then.**

* * *

 

I wonder if I’m dead.

**Mash: Senpai you’ve taken a long nap though you did do a lot this morning.b**

Oh… I was napping. Weird. I don’t remember napping.

**Mash: Ushiwakamaru said you were tired from everything and needed some sleep.**

Sounds like me… is it already time to sleep again?

**Mash: Not yet. We’re needed in Da Vinci Workshop. She wanted to talk to us about Mana Prisms.**

Oh the green blocks. I was using them like a toy yesterday.

**Mash: A toy? Aren’t they precious resources?**

Are they? I just used them as building blocks. We had so many of them that I made an awesome fort… but since they are all cubes I couldn’t make anything appealing.

**Mash: May I join you next time Senpai?**

I thought you’d never ask. We’ll have plenty of fun soon Mash.

**Mash: As you say Senpai. Let’s finish up the day.**


	29. Jing Ke, Ten Steps Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She remained sitting at the table looking down at the tea her, well she couldn't call him her husband, made for her. It had been less than a month after she gave him up. Her sister was also nearby looking just as distraught for her daughter. The two could only think, for what, as they just stared at their drink. Both wanted nothing more than to rip apart her mentor for making them make that harsh choice. Then almost two years had passed in an instance and neither could actually figure out what just happened.
> 
> "You know... you shouldn't let tea go bad by staring at it." Zelretch muttered as he looked over two books in front of him. Neither made any attempt to do anything.
> 
> "Master Zelretch... what brings you back?" Rin hissed though she tried to hide it as best as she could.
> 
> "Yes I would like to know as well." Sakura icily stated glaring daggers into Zelretch but he didn't react at all to it. 
> 
> "Oh nothing much. Just decided to give you two your present. Seems your children have exceeded my expectations... but its not over yet." Zelretch muttered.

**Ho , so it is my turn to write within these hallowed pages. I don’t have much interesting to say. I’ve already told you that my life ended in failure.**

**Ten steps. That was what I had left to complete my mission. Those ten steps and the course of history would have ever been changed through the ripples of mankind. Yet, here we are. I was recounted upon history because of my failure to assassinate the Emperor of my time.**

**Now here I am, slightly drunk, only slightly, writing in your sacred book.**

**I’ve wondered many a day what would have changed yet, if I did succeed would anything have changed? Many a day here in Chaldea I have wondered what exactly would that have accomplished.**

**Though far be it for me to complain about what could be and what should be. For now I am here, transient like the wind, to make sure you succeed in your own mission.**

**Though it was funny when you came to hug me. I immediately told you to go for the neck because I thought you were going to try to touch my breasts. I would not hold it against you Master since I too enjoyed some more hedonistic pleasures in my own life.**

**I wouldn’t hold it against you Master… even one so young can fall for an older beauty once in a while.**

* * *

 

**I had wanted to see if you could hold your alcohol… but it seems you cannot. It is fine, you are still young and as soon as I see you come of age, if I’m still around, I will see the limits of your tolerance.**  

**Afterwards… well that night shall still be young and there is much that can be done between the sun and moon.**

* * *

 

**I don’t drink to the point where I no longer know where I am mind you. It’s more of an escape.**

**I don’t know how to explain it well but I shall try.**

**My life is dictated by the failure I perpetrated when my assassination attempt floundered at the very end. That short ten steps left an undeniable mark on history and the fear of man into a man who was considered the Emperor of all Mankind. Even then my only regret was that I couldn’t accomplish my goal.**

**The moment I walked into that room I was a dead woman. It was fine though since I walked through life as I always did. A genial smile and solid words of culture beneath my brow. I remember probably singing a song, though it has been a long time since then.**  

**How did it go… ah yes. The wind blows, the river freezes, the hero fords, never to return! At least that’s something that possibly could have happened. Such is how history goes, folding into uncertainty as time goes on.**

* * *

 

**Thank you for combing my hair for me Master. I didn’t think you’d do so for me but once again your consideration of others surprises me.**

**It was strangely soothing… to be pampered if only for a moment.**

**You wouldn’t believe how nerve racking it is to have someone at your neck with a sharp implement regardless of who they are. But with you I was… I was content. Comfortable even.**

**I think I need to drink a bit more before I accidentally confess to you out of nowhere.**

**Just kidding~**

**Or perhaps I’ve drank just a bit too much...**

* * *

 

**Master…**

**One day I may not be at your side. Circumstances or whatever may call me to action and you will have to do one thing for me when I take that final journey.**

**Smile.**

**Smile for me as I take my steps towards my final destination. My final rest regardless of the nature of Chaldea.**

**True love doesn’t mean begging someone to stay…**

**It means enjoying our time now so that when it does come to pass you will smile at our journey together.**

**Please Master… make sure you smile for me.**


	30. Leonidas I, King of Sparta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tears streamed from their eyes as they looked page over page. Neither mother looked so relieved knowing their children were safe. Though the ominous phrases that Zelretch had used were something both could have done without.
> 
> Sakura gasped at how outgoing her daughter had become, also wondering how she was handling her pseudo male harem. Though she was naive at everything so that at the very least made Sakura content that her daughter wasn't going to do something stupid. Rin couldn't be as happy though. 
> 
> "What the hell do you mean he has a girlfriend!? Who is this Mash Kyrielight!? My little boy is far too young to be having a girl now!" Rin screamed at the top of her lungs. Even she had barely even acknowledged that having a loved one was good. Years of being a Magus crushed that hope. Even then, he was a horrible person for dealing with women. So how did her son, their offspring, even have the spine to woo girls knowingly.
> 
> "That was a conversation in of itself I had to give him. First kiss at eight because he saved a girl from being bullied. Truly chivalrous wouldn't you say?" Zelretch chuckled as Rin groaned into the table as she pulled her hair.

**We have trained long and hard Master. You show promise even if you sometimes complain. Best not to ask me about the inner workings of Spartan culture. Those children who complained were left out in the wilderness to die so I cannot champion my cause to the standards of now. Needless to say as both a King and a Warrior I can give you a passing grade. Not the best but passable. Perhaps someday you will surpass that limit and become something far greater than I could ever imagine.**

**I’ve noticed that you at least appreciate muscles though you hardly use yours most of the time.**

**Though what intrigues me most is this talk about becoming a bully hunter. Truly, did you go about fighting off the meaner kids whenever they started hurting the younger kids. Heroism starts out small with some of those ideals but it is rare to find someone from Japan who stands up and fights back right away. That is not against the culture but my views of modern society are kind of dim with how people are more concerned about upholding the veneer of peace rather than championing their own ideal.**

**Perhaps this isn’t what you expected from me but even amongst the Spartans I was once of the smartest of our people… though that is neither her nor there at the moment.**

* * *

 

**Know that you have taken your first step into Spartan culture and I can tell you that it isn’t easy nor is it glamorous. You will likely want to die while training. Still, you have not given up and only rested when I tell you you are done. Keep your head up high Master. You shall make it.**

**You wanted to have muscles like me. I told you how you would have to train just to get them.**

**Your mystic code unfortunately makes it hard to do so since you have to have some magical means just to complete my training regiment. That means you would have to do triple what I ask for to acquire what you once called the “gains”.**

**Such a strange way to refer to increasing your muscle mass. Gains? Why in Tartarus would that even be a way to refer to that.**

* * *

 

**Ho! Master you’ve finally got the makings of a Spartan within you. It has been a long and arduous trip that you barely survived most days. Truly one of perfect gain and triumph. Though…**

**Master, being a Spartan also means being a meathead.**

**We were born to fight. Born to die. From sunrise to moon fall our life was grim and harsh. I do not wish that were the case but it fits our culture to a T. I am glad I was King otherwise we wouldn’t have lasted as long as we did.**

* * *

 

**The reason I became King? I remember you asked me once before.**

**I told you that I was the only one who could make the calculations and solutions that were necessary at the time. There was no one else who could even match my prowess at the time.**

**Sparta, at the time, was more concerned with combat prowess and military might. Even when the persian armies mustered their forces we were still concerned with overpowering rather than figuring out how to fight effectively.**

**The equations were horribly unbalanced and required someone like me just to balance out those numbers.**

* * *

 

**Well done Master. When you are ready we shall go out and fight leopards without our bare fists!**

**Though the scolding from Medea was one I could do without. She was not too keen on the idea of letting you near these wildcats. I was certain you could handle yourself… though you have not had the extra four years of training.**

**Spartan children were trained from six on to fight. You started far too late.**

**No matter. One day Master, I shall make sure you can kill your first leopard by hand easily enough.**


	31. Gilles De Rais, Saber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master had left once again. The books taken after Rin and Sakura had taken their fill. Though even then he left behind pictures of her children. It left her choked up if she was finally being honest with herself.
> 
> Ritsuka smiling as he stood amongst the pack of servants. Hundreds of them all at his command. The same could be said of Ritsuko who did the same though her choice of servants were different. Rin bit her thumb since it seemed her child had become something of a playboy in a sense. She, of course, blamed Emiya seeing how their family was since he had knocked up her sister as well at nearly the same time. Ritsuka was older by about ten minutes though.
> 
> "Nee-san, are you okay? I'm sure he's not doing it on purpose." Sakura tried to assure her sister.
> 
> "Then it makes it worse. He let his charm take over and incite those servants over his character. I'm going to make Emiya pay for corrupting my child." Sakura pouted as she crossed her arms.
> 
> Elsewhere, Emiya felt a chill go up his spine and he couldn't tell why.
> 
> The End.

**Ha ha ha… what do you require Master?**

**Though I ask that… I must admit that perhaps I need more help than you do. It is not obvious but even I know something is wrong with me. You seem a bit oblivious about who I am and what I become… though maybe that is but an act.**

**It is not as obvious but I can tell you harbor a lot more insight than the average person. Though that might actually just be because you are a child.**

**As a child your innocence lets you see through unclouded eyes. Though you seem to not be noticing the darker hints that some of us have. I don’t wish to point fingers but I need to point at myself in this case.**

**France would have been better without me. At least I think so… others would argue but even I know what my fate entails in the long run Master.**

* * *

 

**Ah you are such a child.**

**Though when you pointed out that you were a child we had a good laugh.**

**It is true that things like that could be seen as demeaning but being a child is good for you. It allows you the chance to see things without falling to temptation. You see the good from the bad without going far off the edge like others would.**

**You looked at me sadly and tried to comfort me but you didn’t say a word. I don’t take that as you not knowing what to say… but not knowing how to say it. As a child you know what to say but since you’ve been forced to think like an adult you have trouble finding the right words now.**

**Tact… poise… awareness… Medea has mentioned that all too well that you are being forced to grow up faster. I am sorry… I truly am.**

* * *

 

**What is wrong?**

**I suppose I’m worried. Worried that my other form would also appear here in Chaldea. If that happens, you must be careful Master. While I am certain he wouldn’t do anything to his master, you are still a child.**

**My Caster form was unscrupulous in his attempts to show God how wrong he is.**

**If only she was here then things would at the very least be simple enough.**

* * *

 

**The Holy Maiden… I told you it would take three hours, yet you sat and listened to my entire spiel about her.**

**She was radiant. The very beacon of God’s holy light. Through scorn and reason she would fight on. Even as those around her accused her of witchcraft, she smiled for them. When they betrayed her to the English, she advocated for her people. Even as she burned she was as serene as possible. That day a treasure that embodies humanity was snuffed out far before its time.**

**I lost it. I couldn’t believe anymore after that. The ones who caused it eventually crumbled from their guilt but I couldn’t forget. Couldn’t forgive. Not even God was exempt from my fury. It was not righteous fury but petulant indignation that someone so pure was vilified in such as way.**

**My actions afterwards were an atrocity in some vain attempt to show God how wrong he was. It changed nothing important except how history would remember me.**

**I came to Chaldea for a more selfish wish Master. One day, I don’t know when though, she will come. When she does I will bend a knee and hope she will punish me for my transgression.**

* * *

 

**No matter what master I shall one day end up in hell. That is the unbidden truth of my fate and everything that happened is my fault entirely. It is undeniable, irrefutable and damning for all eternity.**

**Still…**

**Until that time I shall fight for the light until it scalds my sinful form back into the shadows where I belong.**

**And should I lose myself to madness once more… do not hesitate. Never hesitate to use a Command Spell to make me take my life. It is what I deserve should madness overtake me once more.**

**Jeanne… should she see me please help her understand why it happened. I deserve this regardless of my character as I am now in this form.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Xhapter Summary story beats comes to an end. I'll be putting one shots or small character bios of servants from now on. i'm not entirely sure right now. Keep watching to find out. So Zelretch's machinations story arc, done. I may collect them and put them in their own story here. Tell me what you think in the comments.
> 
> It's mostly for ease of reading and archive purpose if I'm being honest.


	32. Game Night Session I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Ritsuka and Gudako looked up at their new parents in different timelines. Each had a different light shining through their gaze. For Ritsuka, the blue glow of his eyes shone deep with hope for a better world. Within the golden glow of Gudako was the light shining full of determination to make that path a reality. 
> 
> As the two grew older they felt something strange. Very strange. It felt like something was missing between the two of them. Every once in a while they would look to their left and right respectively as if to see a new friend near them. There wasn't. Ritsuka would sigh and continue walking... Gudako would pout and stomp off. Every time they looked in the mirror there was nothing but a sense of... longing. As if they were missing someone who could comprehend their strange circumstances. All the time they would stare at their hand... feeling like they were missing someone who would be close.

So you want to try D&D? What brought this on?

**Jing Ke: It seems like an interesting pastime. Besides… I can drink more like this.**

**Mash: I thought it would be good to try new things Senpai. Besides, you seem to have a very rich imagination.**

**Kiyohime: A way to spend copious amounts of time with Anchin Sama. I shall never leave your side <3~!**

**Ushiwakamaru: Is that what this is for? Some kind of simulation like what Doctor Fluff said?**

_ My name is Archiman Romani… Dr. Roman for short. Please don’t equate me to fluff… _

He’s right. He’s Doctor Fluff. He didn’t go through years of medical school to not use that Doctor title.

_ You are not helping Ritsuka-kun… _

**Kiyohime: Please Anchin Sama, regale us with an adventure. We shall play our parts well.**

**Jing Ke: As long as I can drink, it should be fun.**

**Mash: Please don’t drink too much. We don’t have a copious amount of liquor… though Medea-san has been working with Caster Cu to ferment stronger liquor…**

**Jing Ke: Even better! Let’s begin!**

Okay but I’ll need you to pick what you want to be. We’ll keep it simple. There are six classes and I shall be your DM for this. Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Priest, Bard, and Hunter are what you can choose for this event.

**Ushiwakamaru: So this is pretend…? How will decisions be made?**

Dr. Fluff! Bring me the dice! You know… if you have the time...

_ I’m not Doctor Fluff Ritsuka-kun. Give me a few seconds… did you want them all? _

No let’s keep this simple.

* * *

 

Have you all decided?

**Mash: I shall be the Priest, Senpai.**

**Ushiwakamaru: The warrior, of course. As the one who scoured the battlefield it falls to me to be the sword that strikes through the enemy.**

**Jing Ke: Heh heh a Rogue. Seems like fun.**

**Kiyohime: A Hunter, my love.**

That seems like a balanced party… Hm… gimme a sec and I’ll craft a little tale. I’ll go get some snacks before we start. Maybe discuss with each other why you are working together so you can get through this pretty quickly?

**Mash: Yes Senpai. We shall figure things out.**

_ Mash, Do you require any assistance? _

**Mash: Doctor please help! I don’t know what we’re doing!? I don’t want to disappoint Senpai!**

**Ushiwakamaru: Wait? Shielder, you don’t know what this game is about!?**

**Jing Ke: Stop hyperventilating you two. Take a note from Kiyohime. See, she’s calm.**

**Kiyohime: You! Fluff doctor! You shall explain what this game is or I shall incinerate your scalp until not even your ashes could be found! I will not let my Anchin-sama down!**

_ Look, it’s a game where he tells you a tale and creates it around your choices. Each challenge will be done by the roll of a single die called a D20. It would be overly complicated if we actually did the entirety of the rules behind this type of game but since he wanted to make it easy for everyone here to play with him he waived those rules. Since he is the storyteller you will play the classes as you see fit. Priests are healers, Warriors fight with Weapons, Rogues are basically thieves and Hunters are long range specialists.  _

**Mash: Anything else, Doctor?**

_ Yes. Since Rituska is the narrator of the tale, he must remain impartial throughout the tale. He might take it easy on your at first but as soon as he thinks you’re ready, he may cause an inciting incident. Remember in game the DM is the boss so what they say goes. Ritsuka told me that he would decide everything with die rolls and that you should always be prepared for luck to be your guide. _

**Kiyohime: Just like Anchin-sama to be so good with his words. Ahh~**

**Jing Ke: I’m beginning to think that this isn’t the safest of activities with certain imaginative people…**

**Ushiwakamaru: Did you say something?**

**Jing Ke: Nothing at all.**

**Mash: Senpai is returning. Act natural.**

I found some chips we could munch on. Da Vinci said that we have only a bit of juice and Robin is still working on making drinks out of the fruits we gathered. He said he would get Medusa to bring us some a bit later so that was nice… I asked Medusa before hand if that was okay but then Stheno got all up in my face. But it’s okay since I put my foot down. Probably… I was a bit in a haze until Medea used her Golden Fleece on me. So I brought some pads of paper we needed, keep notes on your own things. It’s important.

**Ushiwakamaru: Um… my lord?**

Yes?

**Ushiwakamaru: What was that thing about putting your foot down and feeling hazy?**

I don’t know. I feel okay now but I think I need to find better charm protection. I always keep this craft essence on me to make sure I can’t be charmed. Anyways… ready to play? Doctor Roman gave me the die I needed.

**Mash: Of course Senpai. Whenever you are ready.**

Did you figure out how your characters knew each other? Though I should ask what kind of setting you wanted. I kind of glossed over that. Medieval? Sci fi? Modern? Western? Eastern?

**Ushiwakamaru: Eastern if you please my Lord. That is something easy to understand. And we have decided to be a traveling troupe disguised as performers of some sort.**

Ooh… neat. Okay I got this down. Here is the background. 

It is a time of war as Daimyo’s wage secret wars behind a veil of politics and subterfuge. You four were hired by a certain lord in the southern province of Kyushu in what would be modern Miyazaki. You decided to travel as performers though in secret you were trained very well by several specialists to ensure the Daimyo would get his way.

**Jing Ke: Now I’m curious. Little master tell me more.**

**Kiyohime: Trained specially for Master. ~**

**Ushiwakamaru: Hm… so that is our tale then.**

**Mash: Um… I wish to roll for what I see. Hyah!**

Okay… a fourteen. You are traveling along an open trail though you are keeping off to the side using the small treeline as a means of cover. It has been a calm day so far and you have rested well from the previous night. You have been given the mission to head for the province up north. Your mission… is to deal with the lord of that nation at your own discretion.

**Jing Ke: Hoh~ ominous sounding. At our own discretion can mean anything then?**

**Mash: Why did we get chosen?**

**Kiyohime: It is obvious why. My love is a beacon that shows just how talented I am.**

**Ushiwakamaru: I’m pretty sure this is an assassination mission.**

Could be… or there could be a twist later on. You don’t know! Dun dun dun~ 

* * *

 

No Kiyohime the bandits were lying.

**Kiyohime: I burn them alive. <3**

With what? Your character doesn’t have fire breathing or any matches.

**Kiyohime: I use their weapons and some rocks to create sparks over their clothing. They had alcohol on them didn’t they?**

Yes? Uh… roll for me. A fifteen… right then. The bandits scream in agony as the flames broil them alive for daring to lie to you.

**Kiyohime: Lovely.**

* * *

 

**Ushiwakamaru: I strike at them again.**

And you roll… a one. That is a critical fail. So as you go to swing you put too much power into it and your sword goes flying from your hand over the thug’s shoulder. 

**Ushiwakamaru: My lord I assure you that this never happens to me. I always have my hand firmly on my grip no matter what.**

Ushi you need to breathe. It’s fine. It’s just a game and doesn’t translate to your skill outside the game.

**Ushiwakamaru: Yes my lord. Just a game… just a game.**

The thug kicks your stomach sending you back some though.

**Ushiwakamaru: Clever… but he shan’t finish me off.**

**Mash: I quickly heal her before she dies.**

* * *

 

You want to what?

**Jing Ke: I steal his clothing. I want to see if I can.**

You’d have to roll a twenty to do that.

**Jing Ke: Perfect. Then that is what I shall roll.**

Okay… but if you fail they’ll turn on you and it’s a twenty. So by sheer chance you manage to slip off all your targets clothes leaving him naked… why?

**Jing Ke: It makes stabbing easier. So I stab.**

And you roll a… seventeen. You stab the target and he falls clutching his neck from the sudden thrust of your dagger.

**Jing Ke: And that is how you do an impossible assassination.**

**Mash: I don’t think something like that would be possible.**

* * *

 

And so after several hours of walking through the area you finally reach the place of your mission. Unfortunately because you took too long to get there the city was placed under martial law. The entrances are sealed up and no one is allowed in or out of the area. And that is where we shall end it for today. It’s sleeping time for me I think…

**Ushiwakamaru: I knew we shouldn’t have raced after those thieves at that moment.**

**Kiyohime: Liars must be dealt with swiftly and efficiently… with plenty of fire. That is how the world should work.**

**Jing Ke: Wahsts you tacking aboout… heh heh… maybe a bit more booze…**

**Mash: I shall need some assistance at taking her back to her room. How did she even get that drunk…?**

**Ushiwakamaru: I shall do so. Come along Jing Ke…**

**Kiyohime: I shall put Master to bed of course <3**

**Medusa: I shall lead you to bed Master.**

**Kiyohime: Raagh! I am my beloved Anchin-Sama’s bed deliverer!**

**Medusa: You aren’t allowed now silence. Master fell asleep already. Seems he was tired from playing so much. I shall place him in bed.**

**Kiyohime: She’s running away! Rrrgh...**


	33. Cu Chulainn, Sage of the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ritsuka! Ritsuka, pull your hand away from the window. It's cold out now." Sayori told her daughter Ritsuka.
> 
> Ritsuka for her part put her hand down. She could see the reflection in the window and wanted to know what it really meant. They looked nothing like her and were definitely a boy... but she was sad.
> 
> "Brother..." Little Ritsuka mumbled not really knowing why she did so. 
> 
> Meawhile...
> 
> "Ritsuka! Ritsuka, pull your hand away from the window. It's cold out now." Jun told his son Ritsuka.
> 
> Ritsuka for his part put his hand down. He could see the reflection in the window and wanted to know what it really meant. They looked nothing like him and were definitely a girl... but he was sad.
> 
> "Sister..." Little Ritsuka mumbled not really knowing why he did so.

**I miss having my spear…**

**It’s not on you Master. It’s just the luck of the draw and regardless if you think I do better in this form I still prefer using my spear instead.**

**It’s not obvious Master but I am a warrior. While I learned the runes I still don’t like fighting from a distance.**

**Still I’m counting on you Master.**

**I can’t do what I usually do but I’ll suck it up. You gotta do what you gotta do.**

**I wish Shishou hadn’t forced me into this but at the same time I’m grateful she took her time teaching me. Don’t tell her though, I’d die from that kind of attention.**

* * *

**I was trained as a swordsman once. I was utter garbage if what Fergus once said was true. I couldn’t help that I enjoyed using a spear more than a sword. It was far more dangerous and much more fulfilling to rush in like that.**

**A Saber class summon, eh?**

**One day I’d think I’d like to try one out. Not my best class but I would certainly enjoy a bloody fight far more than I would with that staff.**

* * *

**I don’t remember how many times I’ve manifested before. I’ve had a multitude of summons since I’m capable of being in multiple classes.**

**Lancer is one of the few that I have multiple versions of me recorded in the throne. I know I can be a Berserker then again almost everyone has the capability to be a Berserker should they be infected by Madness Enhancement of some sort.**

**I'm used to being a Lancer… but at the same time I feel like everyone thinks that I die too easily.**

**It’s the first time I’ve ever been a Caster.**

**Still I’ll at least teach you some runes later. Okay, Master?**

* * *

**This whole thing is a Holy Grail War… just not in the original sense.**

**You don’t really know this Master but these wars are much different than what you’ve seen before. Ya see… it’s like this.**

**A Holy Grail War is fought between seven masters and seven servants. One of each class is summoned to fight for their opportunity of granting their wish. You know them all. Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin and Berserker. Those are the main classes that are called to service for seven magi, usually, to do battle for whatever those bastards want. Most of them just want to reach the Root. The Root is the source of mana in the world. If you touch it then you get swept into it never to be seen again. Most Magus merely gaze upon the Root usually awakening what some may know as the true magic.**

**If what you told me was true then you are acquainted with the one who wields the Second Magic. That would be known as the Kaleidoscope. That bastard is dangerous in a different sense. From rumors I’ve heard whenever summoned that guy is considered a bad omen to meet since he is barely human anymore. Of course the only reason I can say that is because my Lancer self was told and it was considered important by the world to be kept on hand by the world. It’s a weird thing that was for certain.**

**Look, all I’ll say now is that I hope my experience could come to some use.**

* * *

**After Orleans I can safely say that you’re not half bad as a commander, Master.**

**Seriously, you were still a baby when we started out in Fuyuki but look at you now. Got that warrior spirit cultivating in you after that. Still need to work on not throwing up when you see dead bodies but tiny steps. After all you’re barely the same age as me when I went out into the world and trained nearly to death to become the warrior I am today.**

**Guess that means I know how to pick’em then.**

**Still the roads ahead are filled with uncertainties. So long as spear me and me are here we’ll do our best to kill things before you even see them.**

**Author's Note:**

> All servants written about are based on my pulls within Fate Grand Order. Their arrival will tie in with when I pulled said servant.
> 
> Male Protagonist is a child. Ten years old when he is sent to Chaldea.


End file.
